16 Images Of Oceans Warning Us About The 'Planet Of Plastic' That We Are Creating

Globally, public awareness is growing about the harm that plastic is doing to the oceans and consequently the marine life. Over 300 million tons of plastic is produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications. At least 8 million tons of that ends up in our oceans every year and makes for around 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.

Marine species ingest and suffer because of this plastic debris, which creates severe wounds and leads to deaths. Plastic pollution endangers food production, human wellness, seaside tourism, and adds to climate change. There is an urgent need to investigate the use of existing, legally binding international agreements to address marine plastic pollution.

According to science writer Mike Berners-Lee, of the nine billion tonnes of plastic ever produced, 5.4 billion has been dumped onto land or the sea.

Here are some images that show the extent of damage that plastic waste is doing to our oceans and the planet.

1. India

A 2017 report by the United Nations revealed that about 8 million tons of plastic enters the sea every year and at that rate plastics would outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050. Plastic threats to marine life drew greater attention the same year when British naturalist Sir David Attenborough described distressing moments of an albatross feeding its chick plastic instead of fish.

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2. Greece

Plastic pollution is the most widespread problem affecting the marine environment. It also threatens ocean health, food safety and quality, human health. A plastic bag is seen at the bottom of the sea, off the island of Andros, Greece.

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3. Senegal

A woman is pictured at a fishermen port on the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal that is littered with plastic.

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4. Panama

Plastic waste pile and the debris is seen near the beach in Panama City. Panama is the first country in Central America to ban all single-use plastic bags.

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5. Lebanon

Plastic bottles are seen in polluted water at Beirut's seaside Corniche, Lebanon.

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6. Indonesia

In 1950 the world produced 2 million tonnes of plastic per year. Since then, annual production has raised by nearly 200-fold, reaching 381 million tonnes in 2015. A cat is seen among rubbish at a shoreline in Jakarta, Indonesia that mainly consists of plastic bags and bottles.

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7. Israel

Lousy waste management in many middle- and low-income countries means they dominate as the sources of global ocean plastic pollution. A plastic bottle floats in the Mediterranean Sea, at Zikim beach near the southern city of Ashkelon, Israel.

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8. Thailand

On the other hand high-income countries tend to generate more plastic waste per person. A plastic bottle is seen as a group of volunteers collect trash in the Chao Praya river to raise public awareness on the damage single-use plastic has on the environment in Bangkok, Thailand.

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9. Abidjan, Ivory Coast

Plastic waste and climate change has a multitude of effects on the oceans, which is hurting marine mammals. Ocean temperature is rising due to climate change and plastic waste into the sea. Plastic items and other debris are seen on Vridi beach in Abidjan, Ivory Coast

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10. Italy

Seven different species of marine turtles grace our ocean waters, in the shallow seagrass beds of the seas. Plastics, discarded fishing gear, petroleum byproducts, and other debris, harm and kill sea turtles by ingestion and entanglement. A plastic bottle floats in the sea at Maccarese beach, west of Rome, Italy.

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11. Japan

Plastic trash and other man-made debris in our oceans affects 44% of all seabird species. Birds get entangled in fishing lines, choked by 6-pack rings and die from ingesting plastics, mistaking it for food. A plastic bottle drifts on the waves of the sea at a fishing port in Isumi, east of Tokyo, Japan

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12. Britain

A plastic drinks cup is seen washed up on New Brighton beach near Liverpool, Britain.

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13. Croatia

At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year and makeup 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments. A plastic bottle is seen floating in an Adriatic sea of the island Mljet, Croatia.

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14. Dominican Republic

Product packaging consumes most of the produced plastic. A soldier pauses while cleaning plastic and other debris on the shores of Montesinos beach, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

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15. Vietnam

Hundreds of marine mammal species are in danger because of increased plastic pollution. The need of the hour is finding a solution for discarding plastic safely. A woman walks at the beach covered with plastic waste in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam.

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16. Philippines

Global concern and public awareness about the influence of plastic on the aquatic environment are currently rising. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) views plastic marine debris and its ability to transport harmful substances as one of the leading emerging issues affecting the environment. A boy swims as he collects recyclable plastic bottles drifting with garbage along the coast of Manila Bay at the slum area in the Baseco Compound in metro Manila, Philippines

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