Wildlife Impacts from Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is a critical threat to the world’s wildlife and to human health, with 8-10 million tons of plastic entering the ocean every year. In some areas, twice as many sea turtles are ingesting plastic now than they were 25 years ago. Plastic ingestion and entanglement injures and kills countless marine birds and other wildlife every year.

3D billboard featuring sea lion with plastic water bottle in its mouth

Take the quiz to test your knowledge of how plastic pollution impacts marine animals.

Sea Turtles

Sea turtles, like many other sea creatures, accidentally ingest plastic because they think it’s food. This can result in blockages in their digestive systems, causing distress and sometimes death. Almost all species of sea turtles in the U.S. are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Learn about sea turtle species that are impacted by plastic pollution:

Green sea turtle

CREDIT: SANTANA NAVARRETTE

Spinner dolphin

CREDIT: DONALD BRUSCHERA

Sea lion

Whales, Sea Lions and Other Marine Mammals

An estimated 56 percent of whale, dolphin and porpoise species have consumed plastic, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Plastic often looks like food, or is ingested accidentally with water and zooplankton, like krill, as baleen whales feed. As a result, plastic blocks these animals breathing passages and stomachs, leading to death.

Seals and sea lions are sometimes entangled in plastic trash including plastic bags or plastic packing bands. This can decrease their ability to swim freely, eat, and come up for air, and can cause sickness and death. Plastic packing bands and rubber bands continue to harm Steller Sea Lions. An eight-year study in Southeast Alaska and British Columbia documented 388 sea lions entangled in plastic debris.

Marine mammals can also get tangled in ghost gear (fishing gear that has been lost or abandoned such as nets, ropes, traps, etc.).

Learn about marine mammal species that are impacted by plastic pollution:

Sharks and Other Fish

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, fish in the North Pacific take in 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic, including microplastics, annually, which can result in intestinal injury and ultimately death. Sharks and other fish are vulnerable to microplastics since they bring in water through their gills. A study done by the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom suggests that it could take up to six times as long for marine organisms to rid themselves of microplastics that they draw in through the gills compared to plastics they ingest through the mouth. The plastic that fish take up in their bodies also moves its way up the food chain to larger fish, marine mammals, and humans.

Learn about fish species that are impacted by plastic pollution:

Shark
Pelican with wings outstretched above water

CREDIT: RANDALL WARD

Seabirds and Waterfowl

According to National Geographic, nearly every species of seabird eats plastic. Seabirds can suffer from starvation because their stomachs are full of plastic. Additionally, plastics can cause digestive system blockages, internal scarring, and their chemicals can be poisonous to birds. Jennifer Lavers of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania in Australia says that “seabirds are not doing well in general. They are declining faster than any other bird group and plastics in the oceans are believed to be one cause. Seabirds are the canary in the coal mine for the health of oceans, and we should be paying close attention.”

Learn about some bird species that are impacted by plastic pollution:

Marine debris on person's fingertips, including small pieces of colorful plastic

U.S. Policies That Help Protect Wildlife from Plastic Pollution and Other Threats

Marine Debris Act

The Marine Debris Act requires the NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) marine debris program to identify, determine sources of, assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris and address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the economy of the U.S., marine environment, and navigation safety. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest collection of marine debris (National Geographic).


Marine Mammal Protection Act

The Marine Mammal Protection Act is a national policy to prevent marine mammal species and population stocks from declining beyond the point where they cease to be significant functioning elements of the ecosystems of which they are a part.


Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Action is a national policy to conserve endangered and threatened species and their ecosystems.


Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters.




Stemming the Tide report cover

Stemming the Tide features smaller, individual actions, and campus-wide engagement campaigns and includes information about the plastics pollution problem, its impact on humans and wildlife, action ideas, and educational strategies for colleges and universities. There are many actions and strategies included in the guide that can be transferable to other types of schools, organizations, communities, and more.

Read More

Get Involved

Where We Work

More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. The National Wildlife Federation is on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 53 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.

Learn More