Introduction to Marine Biology 3rd Edition by George Karleskint, Richard Turner, James Small

Exercise 10

Plastic is a serious hazard to marine organisms because it persists in the environment for long periods of time. Marine vertebrates can become tangled in plastic debris and lose limbs, strangle, or drown. Some marine animals mistake the plastic for food and are killed when their digestive tracts become obstructed. Microparticles of plastic can be consumed by invertebrates, killing them or their predators.