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Raising awareness of the impacts of microplastics as well as plastics in the ocean and educating people on what can be done to combat this should be a major part of trying to reduce the concentrations of plastics in the ocean. Using evidence from social sciences and psychological studies, to better understand the risk, social responsibilities, and cause of behaviors in the public and private sectors. Simplifying the complex and uncertain scientific findings into concise and easy-to-understand language that can be understood by target audiences be it persons in the private or public sectors. Take proper account of demographic differences, in determining what perceptions and behaviors different demographics exhibit regarding plastic production and pollution and targeting each accordingly.
Furthermore, the term microplastics is very broad and used for any form of plastic less than 5mm in diameter, this is concerning because it does not specify microplastics in the Nano size range. Including particles in the Nano size range in further research could shed light on some of the current unknowns of microplastics. Extensively reviewing experiments in a lab, researching the potential effects and relevance of Nano-plastics in a simulated natural ecosystem. Nano-plastics might turn out to be a stressor to many marine animals, adding to other natural stressors that they are already subjected to such as trace metals, organic contaminants, and nanomaterials. There is a very large probability that the microplastics in the ocean today will eventually convert to Nano-plastics this is due to the current microplastics fragmenting and in turn increasing the concentration of nanoparticles and adding stress on an already delicate environment. In turn, further research should be devoted to focusing on the source of fragmenting, how fast Nano-plastics are formed as well as the density of Nano-plastics throughout our oceans. Knowing where large concentrations of Nano-plastics may give some insight into the sources they come from, not to mention the effect of the density of Nano-plastics on the environment.
Future research may also want to address the chemical and anatomical risk of ingesting microplastics at various depths. Director of Pews Protecting Coastal Wetlands and Coral Reefs Project states Plastic waste can encourage the growth of pathogens in the ocean. According to a recent study, scientists concluded that corals that come into contact with plastic have an 89 percent chance of contracting disease, compared with a 4 percent likelihood for corals that do not. In conducting these experiments examining the effects of plastics on marine animals is essential to gain a further understanding of just how badly they affect an ecosystem. Research such as comparing information from lab-based experiments of the concentration of chemicals with observations of their distribution in the tissue of marine organisms. Include how animal behavior and physiology for intended species altered, including commercial species that are used widely for human consumption. Take into account the amount of time the gut retains the chemicals as well as the gut environment to determine the level of risk. Making sure to include particle size and shape when determining the risk of damage. These are all viable means of researching just how much is affected by not only plastics but microplastics as well.
Evidently, there is no definitive answer to ridding the ocean of marine pollution, but there are several measures that could be taken to potentially combat the incessant dumping of trash into our oceans. Some steps that could be implemented include; preventative measures to avoid and prevent the generation of debris entering the oceans, mitigating measures addressing the ways in which litter is disposed of, removing measures primarily aiming to remove existing debris that is present in marine environments, and finally behavior-changing measures which work on influencing behaviors of the people to engage in activities that help reduce marine debris. The priority waste management focus should include strategies to prevent waste from being formed in the first place, a potential strategy for ensuring this is Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR. EPR is an approach that gives producers a significant amount of responsibility in the handling and disposal of products post-consumer. This should be a well-established strategy since it is a strategy to prevent waste at source, promote product design for the environment and support public recycling and materials management. Mitigating measures could include; the prohibition of certain types of waste dumped into seas or landfills, establishing rigid dumping regulations where dumping is allowed, as well as prohibition of waste that is dumped into sensitive marine areas such as reefs or estuaries. While being able to prevent waste from entering our oceans in the first place is of great importance, it is still very much worthwhile removing as much waste that is in our oceans as possible. Beach cleanups are usually the first thing to come to mind when talking about cleaning litter however, Fishing for Litter initiates have also begun to gain some traction, having fishers remove litter that they find and leave them on a bank for collection and disposal. In the end, it’s individuals who make a change, as such encouraging people to seek out ways to reduce marine pollution, is a necessity. The result is a populace that would start to see waste as a resource and opt for more eco-friendly products and be more waste conscious in their everyday lives.
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