As someone from Washington State, the Puget Sound has always been nearby and forthose unaware, it is a large body of water that is connected to the ocean. WhileI don't technically live near the ocean, my actions have had a direct impact onthe ocean and the ocean, in turn, has had a direct impact on my life.As I've gotten older and learned more about the impact that our actions have on the world, I have worked hard to make changes to my lifestyle and to help educate others on how they too can help reduce their use of plastic. Plastic is everywhere around us now, from the packaging to the food you consume. However, we can all make changes to reduce our plastic consumption and prevent it from entering our ocean.
Plastic causes a lot of problems in the ocean, from single-use plastic straws, the plastic that is thrown away into oceans, and the microplastic that are found in many over our everyday products. Microplastic is one of the topics I see talked about less outside of the scientific communities that can have a big impact on the health of both humans and the ocean. For those unaware, microplastics are the small plastic beads found in toothpaste, sunscreen, and other facial products. When these things make their way into the water, they look like plankton to unsuspecting fish. The fish eat it and get eaten in turn by other fish or by humans later. Which directly impacts humans. Larger pieces of plastic can also harm fish and marine mammals directly. Such as the rings found with soda cans, and plastic bottles that marine mammals such as Harbor Seals can swallow without realizing it.
Despite all the negatives we hear about, there are positive things that are happening as well. More people are becoming aware of the plights that surround the oceans and are taking actions to reduce their plastic and carbon footprints. Even if you are unable to do much or live nowhere near the ocean, don't assume that you can't do anything to help or that your impacts won't matter. If everyone does a little bit to help reduce their plastic consumption, we can save the life and beauty in the ocean for future generations.
