Marine biologist makes alarming discovery while analyzing debris on beaches: 'I'm almost certain'

Unfortunately, there are plenty of disheartening environmental studies these days, and this recent one from the island of Guernsey is no exception. However, in this particular study, and many others like it, there is both a hero and hope to be had.  

What's happening?

Marine biologist Richard Lord and a group of like-minded environmentalists have been engaged in a unique cleanup on the shores of Guernsey beaches. They're collecting all the plastic water bottles of various national origins that wash ashore and logging them. They've now put their findings into an unsettling context.  

"What I'm doing is a photographic record of the foreign litter that's washing up on the Guernsey shore," he says. "And I'm almost certain … that there'll be more plastic water brands in the English Channel than there are species of fish in British waters."

That would mean around 330 different brands of plastic water bottles are polluting the waters surrounding this beautiful island. That's plastic water bottles, by the way, not just beverages of all kinds.

"I can confidently say there are more brands of plastic bottle, but I am targeting plastic water bottles," Lord says. "There has been such a tremendous growth in plastic water production around the globe. It's probably over a trillion bottles [annually]." 

Why is curbing marine pollution important?

Marring the beauty of our oceans is bad enough to call for an end to marine pollution, but there's far more to it than that, as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization revealed. Our oceans play a significant role in carbon absorption and provide a crucial food source to vast numbers of people. They're also teeming with precious lifeforms whose ecosystems are endangered by marine pollution. 

In short, the ocean is vital to life on Earth whether that life lives within it or many miles from it. Keeping pollution out of it is crucial for protecting the well-being of all of us. 

What's being done about marine pollution?

Richard Lord and those working with him are heroes in this story. They're bringing attention to this grave situation and seeking to inspire change. They're not alone, either.

Florida lawmakers recently banned balloon releases in an effort to curb marine pollution. Canovation, a sustainable packaging company, developed the world's first resealable can to combat plastic bottle production. Then there are the scientists who developed a solvent that traps marine nanoplastics.

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Again, while our environmental situation can look bleak at times, there are still pioneers out there offering plenty of hope for a cleaner, safer future.

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