Through the intimate bond between parent and offspring flows the continuity of life itself. That our human trash stream crosses even this sacred bond is evidence of a world wounded and out of round, its relationships disfigured. From sun-bleached coral reefs to icy polar waters, no place, no creature, remains apart. If albatrosses' eating plastic seems surprising, so do many of the oceans' problems. Like elusive fish, facts often defy common perceptions.
Most people think oil spills cause the most harm to ocean life.
When a tanker wrecks, news crews flock to film gooey beaches and dying animals. Fishing annually extracts more than 80 million tons of sea creatures worldwide. An additional 20 million tons of unwanted fish, seabirds, marine mammals and turtles get thrown overboard, dead. Overfishing has depleted major populations of cod, swordfish, tuna, snapper, grouper and sharks. Instead of sensibly living off nature's interest, many fisheries have mined the wild capital, and famous fishing banks lie bankrupt, including the revered cod grounds of New England and Atlantic Canada.