Jack Ward, curator of the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo, is very concerned about the amount of trash, which is polluting our seas.

He said: "Marine pollution is not a problem in Bermuda, but a crisis. If we stopped polluting the sea today and cleaned all of our beaches and the shoreline it could take 10 years or more to clean up and restore it to pristine.'' One of the major culprits associated with marine pollution and injury to marine life is plastic. The widespread presence of plastics in the oceans is a global problem.

Plastics have been in existence for more than a century but today's plastics evolved during World War II when there were shortages of rubber and other materials. The production of plastic has been on the increase over the years and in 1988 the US produced more than 59.4 billion pounds which equated to about 10 pounds for every person on earth.

You may be thinking , "Oh, but that's in the US, not Bermuda.'' Untrue.

Survey your surroundings and you will notice: bottles, toys, bags, boats, telephones, auto parts, bread wrappers, tampons, diapers, pens, and containers. These are all sorts of items we use daily in Bermuda.

One of the reasons for plastic's popularity is that it is practically indestructible. For example, the life expectancy of a six-pack ring at sea is 450 years! "Bermuda is sitting in the middle of this concentration of sargassum in the ocean. The currents move in a circular motion and early marine organisms spend early life in this circle. They feed on plastics, which get caught up in this area. The debris is a global concentration of trash,'' explained Mr. Ward.

Lightweight plastic enables fishermen to use nets that may extend over 20 miles of ocean. Fishing line is also made from plastic, as is marine rope. It is strong and is used in packaging heavy cargo. It can stand a lot of abuse.

Other major markets include construction, electrical and electronics, furniture, industrial parts and machinery.

Unfortunately, when a marine animal becomes entangled in a plastic strapping band or net it is almost impossible to break free. Every year sea turtles ingest floating plastics, which leads to their deaths. They think a floating plastic bag is jellyfish. Ingested plastic may lodge in an animal's intestines and stomach, blocking its digestive tract. For sea turtles the ingested plastics my cause excess buoyancy, making the turtle unable to dive for prey or escape predators.

"It is heart wrenching when a beautiful sea creature washes up dead on the shore. Last year a whale washed up and an autopsy was performed finding a lot of ingested plastic,'' reflected Mr. Ward.

Another lethal for sea turtles and birds is discarded monofilament fishing line. Turtles become entangled and are unable to break free and drown. The plastic ring wrapping from a six pack of canned beverage is a major threat to seals, fish, sea lions and birds. Plastic is hazardous to animals on land and water.

"Just the other week I was snorkling on Harrington Sound and found seven conchs entangled in fishing line. They were tethered together doomed to death prior to my rescue,'' explained Mr. Ward.

Mr. Ward says balloons released into the open are very dangerous to marine life, particularly the helium type. "I was walking along the beach the other day and on the shore was a piece of a birthday balloon. I picked it up. It read, `Happy 9th birthday' and I thought right, kill a turtle.'' Helium-filled balloons released in Bermuda are one hundred percent sure to end up in the ocean, where they not only add to floating litter, but also may become a fatal meal for creatures such as our green turtles, Chelonia mydas.

Dr. Wolfgang Sterrer says another marine life nasty is cigarette butts.

"People have a smoke while driving or walking along the road and they flick cigarette butts out of their sight. They end up on the beaches and the wind carries them into the ocean. In the ocean the fishes and birds see them floating on the surface and mistake them for food. The butt, which contains a tiny plastic bit, gets swallowed by an animal and it chokes to death.'' Both Dr. Sterrer and Mr. Ward made suggestions for citizen action: Purchase sensibly. Select items, which minimise the packaging. Choose plastics products carefully.

Dispose of trash responsibly. Make sure it is secure and placed well.

Recycle as much as possible. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Education is needed to teach people about the dangers and consequences of plastic pollution. Talk with children about problems caused by improper disposal of plastics and other trash. Encourage schools to include this in their curricula.

Pick trash up when you see it. It may not be yours but you could be saving a life. Provide assistance to beach cleanups and support KKB.

Implementation of stricter wildlife conservation laws. What are the laws? Are they enforced? All of us marvel at the beautiful seas which surround Bermuda and each of us has a responsibility to protect our oceans. The sea provides us with visual beauty and a rich bounty of food. The pollution of oceans is worldwide. It is a major focus of environmentalists and Bermuda is no exception.

Pictured below is a green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas , found in shallow waters with sea-grass beds of tropical oceans worldwide. Image from an original painting by artist Michelle G. Pasquin.

Curator : Jack Ward of the Bermuda Aquarium holds the shell of a deceased baby Hawksbill turtle who ingested bits of plastics. Its stomach and intestine were completely impacted.