But most of the time, the harm is stealthier ... its durability and light weight—increases the threat to animals. Plastic hangs around a long time, and a lot of it floats.

Wildlife such as birds, whales, fish, and turtles mistake indigestible plastic waste for food and die of starvation as their stomachs become filled with it. It also causes internal and external ...

The list of freshwater and marine organisms that are harmed ... on animals at nearly all levels of biological organization,” Rochman says. “We know enough to act to reduce plastic pollution ...

Plastic pollution, in particular its wide-spread presence in our land and oceans, has been an ongoing issue. A recent study by UCSB researchers spanning across the Marine Science Institute, Bren ...