Australia's plastic is polluting our coastline

CSIRO scientists have conducted a survey of marine debris along Australia’s coastline and concluded that the majority of the rubbish is plastic from Australian sources. Marine debris includes manufactured materials which end up in the ocean and along the coast, and can smother coral reefs, kill wildlife and pose a threat to human health.

Dr Denise Hardesty said her team surveyed sites approximately every 100 km along the Australian coastline. “We found about three-quarters of the rubbish along the coast is plastic,” she said. “Most is from Australian sources, not the high seas, with debris concentrated near cities.”

Dr Hardesty said the density of plastic in Australian waters ranges from a few thousand pieces of plastic per square kilometre to more than 40,000 pieces. She noted, “Approximately one third of marine turtles around the world have likely ingested debris, and this has increased since plastic production began in the 1950s.”

Dr Hardesty said the Tasman Sea is a global hotspot for seabird impacts. “We found that 43% of seabirds have plastic in their gut. Globally, nearly half of all seabird species are likely to ingest debris, eating everything from balloons to glow sticks, industrial plastic pellets, rubber, foam and string.”

The research, published in a recent report, is part of TeachWild, a national three-year research and education program developed by Earthwatch Australia in partnership with CSIRO and Shell Australia’s National Social Investment Program.

“By garnering the information needed to identify sources and hotspots of debris, we can better develop effective solutions to tackle marine debris,” said Dr Hardesty.