It can be mistaken for food by many marine mammals and birds, and ingestion of marine debris is potentially fatal for many of these animals. Entanglement is also a danger, as nets or plastic can choke, drown, or cause other harm to marine mammals, fish, and many birds. Marine debris can also damage boats and shipping vessels by entangling propellers or through collision with larger debris. Marine debris also soils our coasts, rendering them less appealing for beach-goers and adversely affecting our economy. 78 per cent.
Plastics can entangle marine animals, potentially drowning or otherwise harming the animals.
Marine mammals and birds can also mistake plastics for food. These plastics can then lodge in the animals stomachs, either blocking food from entering or giving them a false sense of satiation, damaging the animal s health. Plastics can also entangle ship s propellers, causing economic damage. Toxic pollution can enter the food chain, traveling upward through bugs and fish, and ultimately ending up in humans, affecting human health. A watershed is the area of land that drains in a certain body of water.