How Does The Hidden Dangers of Plastics Pollution for Marine Animals Work?

Plastics pollution is like leaving a big mess in the ocean that harms animals who live there.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy, and someone throws it into a messy room full of other toys. The animal can't find its food or move around easily, that's what happens to sea creatures when they swim through plastic pollution.

When people throw plastic bottles, bags, or wrappers into the trash, sometimes they end up in the ocean. It’s like throwing your toys out the window of a moving car, they might land far away and get stuck in the water.

Some sea animals think plastic bags look like jellyfish, so they try to eat them. But plastic isn’t food, it can make their bellies feel full and stop them from eating real food, or even hurt them inside. It’s like if you ate a big, hard toy instead of your snack.

Other animals get tangled in plastic strings or nets, which is like getting stuck in a spider web, they can't move and might get hurt or die.

The ocean needs to be clean so the animals can swim, eat, and play happily!