Oceans are silently choking on our plastic waste. Plastic and synthetic materials are the most common types of debris in our oceans and are having horrific impacts on marine wildlife and systems. As an island continent "girt by sea" marine debris is of particular importance for Australia. Creatures get entangled in plastics and drown and ingested concentrated toxins from plastics pose a threat to the health of the food chain. Plastics also transport and introduce species into new environments. Anja Taylor catches up with the CSIRO research team spearheading the Marine Debris Survey, a world first study of the plastics around our coastline. Published on Sep 9, 2012 Published by ABC Catalyst.

Marine Debris.

In this episode of OCEAN HEROES, Anna Cummins and Marcus Eriksen of 5 Gyres Institute explain: WHAT IS A GYRE? Learn more about how you can help protect our oceans at One World Oceans. Visit our special collection, Plastics in Our Oceans and find 5 Gyres Institute's documentary, Plasticized. Uploaded on Jan 12, 2012

Animated story of plastic garbage floating on our oceans and its impact on us and our environment. UpGyres works to stop plastic from getting into the ocean by promoting to reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, rethink and upcycle plastic waste on land.

Upcycle the Gyres Society (UpGyres)is  a not-for profit organization in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.

PLASTICIZED is an intimate account of a first-hand journey aboard the Sea Dragon with the 5 Gyres Institute on the very first scientific expedition, focused on plastic waste, through the centre of the South Atlantic Ocean. An eye-opening story about the institute's global mission to study the effects, reality, and scale of plastic pollution around the world. Published on Dec 24, 2012

Improperly disposed of cigarette butts find their way to our rivers and waterways. Please keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful. Port St. Lucie is a city in St. Lucie County, Florida, United States. When it comes to the issue of  cigarette butts, Port St. Lucie has a message for all of us living in villages and towns the world over. Published on Oct 3, 2012

Howard Lack, CEO of Plastic Oceans in this interview talks about the film project Plastic Oceans has undertaken with the objective of increasing awareness of the plastic that is in our oceans negatively effecting our wildlife and the health of humans, especially our children as plastic moves through the food chain.  This is a cause Mr. Lack is passionate about as you will hear as he discusses the role of plastic toxins on developing nations; the importance of accepting personal responsibility; the development of solutions to the problems; and recognition of plastic, when properly recycled, as an energy source. Plastic Oceans provides a powerful and effective platform campaigning for, supporting and funding targeted solutions aimed at significantly reducing plastic pollution in the environment. 

Steve Russell, VP Plastics Department, of ACC Plastics notes we all agree that plastics should be used wisely to begin with, reduced when possible, and recycled when finished. Goodwill among all the "sides" to this issue gives him confidence we will succeed.

This short three minute video looks at the issues of plastic pollution in our oceans and talks about some of the possible solutions. Uploaded on Aug 5, 2010

Dr. Sylvia Earle is a National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, called a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress, and first "Hero for the Planet" by Time magazine, is an oceanographer, explorer, author, and lecturer.She addresses in this video the result on our oceans of our addiction with plastic.