This tiny jellyfish and the octopus behind it are about the size of a pencil led, translucent, and barely visible to the naked eye. Key species near the base of the food web such as herring, sardines, menhaden and mullet routinely ingest plastic fragments as they filter the water for the nutritious plankton they feed on.
Pacific herring feed by facing into the current, hanging their jaws open, and sifting out tiny plants and animals. As plastics break down into fragments – as all plastics from discarded shopping bags to cigarette butts eventually do – the fragments mix in with the rest of the planktonic drift and are consumed by small fish… which are in turn consumed by larger fish, whales, sea lions and us.
The tethered balloon that slipped from a child’s hand
The monofilament net the fisherman left hanging on a reef
The cigarette butt that doesn’t matter
and shopping bags,
and Christmas ribbons,
and cups used only once
and the plastic packaging
inside the shopping bags,
the throw-away toys
inside the Christmas package
the straws and the lids on the used-once cups
are smothering our oceans
and everything in our oceans
and us.
These photos were taken at the Seward Sea Life Center in Seward, Alaska. Visit an aquarium today to learn more about what you can do to help keep our oceans clean and healthy.
CutterLight 
Thank you for posting this . . . amazing images . . .
Thanks for reading and commenting beachmama.
gorgeous photos.
and plastic bags are a big problem in asia – where we are given a lot of them, and very few recycling/green efforts take hold with great effect. Here’s to hoping we change our habits before these beautiful creatures disappear.
Thanks for the comment. We’re hoping that all over the world, manufacturers and retailers will take far more responsibility for this issue than most currently do. Meanwhile, if everyone would remember that cigarette butts, plastic bottles, bags… all of it is doing a lot of damage.
Reblogga detta på Ann Novek–With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors.
Thanks for the reblog, Ann.
Reblogged this on JuneauTek.
Thanks for the reblog, JuneauTek.
Reblogged this on Enough Is Enough and commented:
Lovely post here which reminds us of our responsibility as stewards of our planet. Every action has a consequence.
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” John Muir
Worth reminding everyone; no matter how small, each living organism is precious, each has its reason for existing. The loss of one link in the chain is an irrevocable loss.
We agree, Maureen. And as with plastic, things accumulate – so that what one animals ingests, the entire food chain ingests.
Reblogged this on " OUR WORLD".
Thanks for the reblog.
You’re very welcome great post !
Reblogueó esto en Isa Abreu Arguello.
Gracias!
Thanks for this post. I would like to reblog – Okay? Here’s my plastic post a couple of years ago. http://wp.me/pJscA-30
Lynn, You are absolutely free to use the Plastic Seas post – or any Cutterlight post. Thanks for helping to fight the good fight!
I reblogged – but not in the usual way but copying and pasting. My readers seem to think I write the blogs of others – so I thought it needed an introduction. Thank you so much.
Lovely photos and a great message. Thank you for sharing this!
Thanks Erica!