Report: Plastic in the Ocean Will Triple in the Next Decade – Plastic Ocean Triple Next Decade – The new report warns oceans are ‘facing unprecedented change’ - Arhive

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Report: Plastic in the Ocean Will Triple in the Next Decade

The new report warns oceans are ‘facing unprecedented change.’

By Alexa Lardieri, Staff Writer
Plastic Ocean Triple Next Decade

Plastic in Ocean to Triple by 2025

Plastic Ocean Triple Next Decade

About 70 percent of all litter in the ocean is plastic, according to the report.(GARY BELL/GETTY IMAGES)

THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC littering the world’s oceans is expected to triple within the next decade, a new report from the United Kingdom warns.

The Foresight Future of the Sea report “considers the role that science and technology can play in understanding and providing solutions to the long-term issues affecting the sea.”

The report states that without any intervention the amount of plastic in the ocean will drastically rise. About 70 percent of all litter in the sea is plastic, and it does not decompose. Instead, it breaks down into smaller pieces and harms sea creatures and birds by clogging their digestive tracts and restricting their movements. It also pollutes beaches.

In an effort to combat the rise of plastic pollution, the report recommends the major response be to prevent plastic from entering the ocean at all. It recommends introducing new biodegradable plastics and increasing public awareness campaigns about marine protection to address the “out of sight, out of mind challenge.”

The report also identified other key areas where “the marine environment is facing unprecedented change as a result of direct human activity and climate change.”

The ocean covers 70 percent of the world’s surface and is essential for regulating global temperature, water and oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels. However, according to the report, the challenges the sea is facing “will have major implications for global biodiversity, infrastructure, human health and wellbeing and the productivity of the marine economy,” with direct and indirect consequences.

Other challenges include sea-level rise, marine biodiversity threats, ocean warming and chemical pollution.

In addition to increasing public awareness, addressing threats to biodiversity and developing accurate and useful valuations of the marine environment, the Foresight Future of the Sea report stressed the importance of international engagement and cooperation to address the array of issues.

“The future of the sea is a global issue,” the report said. “Stable and effective international governance is critical for creating the enabling environment for successful marine policy interventions.”