A fisherman in Costa Rica recently gave the world an impromptu reminder of just how vulnerable marine life is to human action.
On a trip in December, the fisherman hauled in a mahi-mahi, otherwise known as the dolphinfish. Suspecting the animal was sick, the man cut its stomach open to see what might be causing the unease.
Filming as he worked, the man discovered the fish had ingested several pieces of plastic and garbage, including bottle caps, a mangled comb, shreds of plastic cups, and what appears to be a small lighter.
Marine scientist Erick Ross said the footage, which was first posted on Newsflare, shows how acclimated aquatic life is becoming to human refuse.
“It’s a pretty worrying video,” he said. “This confirms that different marine animals confuse plastic with food. The plastic does not melt and can block their intestinal tract, and then they cannot feed — preventing them from consuming food, and starving [them to death].”
Ross says it’s not a phenomenon exclusive to the water. Animals operating on its fringes are being affected, as well:
“In other places, it is common to see the nests of seabirds filled with plastic. What they do is they confuse plastic with small fish, grab it, swallow it and take it to the nest to feed the chicks. Then, in the essential stage of growth, the chick feeds on plastic.”
A research paper published last week in the journal Science revealed that plastic pollution is having a devastating effect on coral reefs across the Asia-Pacific — a region that’s home to more than half the world’s reefs.
After four years of diving off the coasts of Australia, Thailand, Myanmar, and Indonesia, the research team estimates that around 11 billion pieces of plastic have become snagged on reefs in those waters.
The team found that where the coral was contaminated, 89 percent of the time the reef was suffering from diseases. By contrast, only four percent of plastic-free reefs showed signs of illness.
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