Everyday choices contribute to the marine world
Plastic pollution of the sea is a relatively recent problem, according to a University of KZN marine biology lecturer.
Thousands of plastic bottles and other pieces of plastic litter line the coastline south of Durban after a recent storm. Photo: Lisa Guastella.
Marine conservation is no longer the responsibility of only a few, and we all need to lend a helping hand in protecting KZN’s coastline.
According to University of KZN marine biology lecturer, Dr David Glassom, studies at the university have already shown that several species of juvenile fish off the Durban coastline are growing more slowly and dying more frequently from eating tiny fragments of plastic washed into the sea, called microplastics.
Plastic pollution of the sea was a comparatively recent problem, he said, spawned by the throw-away society that developed in the mid-1950s when manufacturers began to encourage people to use disposable products like paper plates and cups, plastic bags, plastic cutlery and plastic packaging material.
Now, almost 70 years later, plastic marine debris has spread to the remotest islands and isolated polar regions.
As part of National Science Week, uShaka Marine World offered the public the chance to learn a little bit more about how our everyday choices contribute to the marine world, reports the North Coast Courier.
The Science Week Marine exhibition in the uShaka Marine World Village Walk Mall, outside Dangerous Creatures, between 9am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday will provide the opportunity to learn more from the experts who understand the challenges posed to the marine environment and how you too can play a part in the science of marine conservation.
It is also easy to go a step further and participate in citizen science projects. One such project is the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) Tagging Project, another is the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI).
These are projects anyone can participate in by thinking like a scientist when we catch or purchase seafood.
Learning how to do your part is quite easy, visit the exhibition and the scientists will show you how. Entry is free into the Village Walk Mall.
– Caxton News Service
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