What is Marine Debris?
Marine debris is a term for the garbage which finds itself into the ocean: everything from plastic bottles to styrofoam cups, cigarette butts, plastic bags, discarded fishing line and even appliances! Most marine debris was washed directly off the land, sometimes off beaches but often it can be transported from inland by rivers and drains and out to the sea where it can cause serious harm and even death to whales, dolphins and other marine life.
How does Marine Debris affect cetaceans?
If a dolphin or turtle ingests pieces of garbage it may become sick or the trash may become stuck in its stomach or intestines, blocking the digestive system and leading to slow death by starvation. Other trash can entangle the animals in a similar way to fishing line and nets. When debris entangles young marine animals it often restricts the growth of the animal in a painful and often fatal manner.
Marine Debris in Trinidad and Tobago
The problem of marine debris is evident in local waters and garbage can be seen floating just offshore and covering cetain beaches. While we do not know how much this garbage affects local cetaceans it is certain that it negatively affects the local ecosystem. More research needs to be done in this area to acertain the level of this threat locally.
