Scientists make promising revelation about abandoned fishing gear: 'We've shown that you can, in fact, clean up ... the ocean'

A large-scale effort to clean up marine debris in Hawai'i is benefitting monk seals and ecosystems, according to a study.

For 25 years, multi-agency and multi-partner marine debris removal efforts have been underway in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, said a report from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, shared by Phys.org. This ocean pollution — mainly in the form of discarded fishing gear — endangered marine life like monk seals, which can become entangled with it.

Research published in the journal Science analyzed the impacts of plastic pollution over 40 years on the seals as well as other wildlife like marine mammals, sea turtles, coral, and fish. It found that Hawaiian monk seal entanglement rates fell substantially in areas where the debris removal efforts were most concentrated.

🗣️ Do you think America has a plastic waste problem?

🔘 Definitely 👍

🔘 Only in some areas 🫤

🔘 Not really 👎

🔘 I'm not sure 🤷

🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind

An estimated 100 million marine animals are killed by plastic waste every year, according to EcoWatch. For instance, one humpback whale faced potentially fatal consequences after becoming entangled with fishing gear off the Australian coast. Luckily, good samaritans came to its rescue, freeing it from over 1,700 pounds of discarded fishing equipment.

Ocean plastics aren't just bad news for wildlife, however. Toxic carcinogens like diethylhexyl phthalate spread throughout the ocean ecosystem as plastics break down, and these chemicals can be ingested by fish and marine mammals. Humans then ingest these dangerous compounds when they eat contaminated fish.

The good news is that experts are coming up with new innovative ways to help clean up all this ocean plastic. For instance, scientists at the University of Surrey have come up with a plastic-eating "robo-fish" that filters microplastics as it swims through waterways. Plus, researchers at Princeton Engineering have found a way to use egg whites to remove plastic pollution from the ocean.

Watch now: Can the government create hurricanes?

Together, all of these efforts can make a difference for our ocean and the organisms that call it home.

"We've shown that you can, in fact, clean up at least parts of the ocean, and it can be consequential, particularly for species of conservation or cultural concern," said Mary J. Donohue, co-author of the Hawai'i study. "For lasting solutions, we also need to reduce the input of fishing gear that becomes derelict, both from legal and illegal fisheries."

Jason Baker, a marine biologist with NOAA who was the lead author of the study, said: "Now we know that all the hard work and dedication of so many people and organizations that contributed to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands marine debris cleanup did achieve its aim of reducing monk seal entanglement, saving seal lives and improving nearshore habitats."