You probably see a lot of things made of plastic, like bottles and bags, every day. What happens when that plastic gets thrown away? Scientists say much of it ends up in oceans and causes problems for creatures(生物)like fish and birds.
" Plastic puts ocean creatures in danger, " says Allison Schutes of the Ocean Conservancy. That' s a group that works to protect the world' s oceans.
A recent study shows that each minute, enough plastic reaches the ocean to fill up one garbage truck! That same study predicts that by the year 2050, our oceans will have more plastic than fish.
All that plastic is bad news for ocean life. Some ocean creatures die when they get tangled(使缠结)in pieces of plastic. Others accidentally eat it and die, too.
Most scientists say taking out all the plastic that' s already in the ocean would be impossible. Instead, they say the best way is to prevent more plastic from getting there.
Many groups are already taking action. They organize cleanups on beaches to pick up litter before it reaches the ocean. ▲ , volunteers from the Ocean Conservancy collected more than 16 million pounds of it last year!
Experts also encourage people to use less plastic. Many cities and towns in America have banned plastic shopping bags. Experts also suggest that people drink out of reusable bottles and try reusable shopping bags.
" These seem like small things, " says Schutes, " but they can help make a big difference. "
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