Waves Of Plastic : Our Oceans Are Drowning | Episode 9

Seventy percent of the earth’s surface is covered by ocean water, with more than 90 per cent of the world’s living space contained within. Yet, to this day, only ten per cent of our oceans have been studied – leaving the majority virtually unexplored. What we do know – humans are reaching into the depths, despite never having been there. “For a long time we thought we couldn’t damage it, that dilution was the solution. Now eight million metric tons of plastic are flowing into the ocean every year,” says George Leonard, Chief Scientist at the Ocean Conservancy.

According to Leonard, about thirty percent of fish counts have plastic in their stomach when caught. Various forms of the substance has been found in the deepest waters of the Marianas Trench, all the way to the Arctic, Antarctic and beyond.

On this episode of the Big Blue Marble, we set sail for the most mysterious part of the planet and we will dive through the great Pacific garbage patch. Beyond that, we explore how far reaching our human touch is – including what is a surprise discovery. You’ll never guess what the most common piece of trash in our oceans actually is

Image provided by Plastic Oceans Foundation