Plastic bag drifting underwater - stock photo from I-Stock (I-Stock Reff 1163261275)
Marine pollution
What is marine pollution?
Marine pollution is the introduction of substances (including plastics, oil, sewage and chemicals) from humans into the marine environment resulting in harmful effects. The majority of this (a whopping 80%) comes from the land via rivers, runoff or wind, meaning we all have an important part to play in tackling this global crises.
We rely upon the ocean for a myriad of reasons. It produces over half of the world’s oxygen and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere. It provides us with multiple resources including recreation, tourism, aggregates, fuels, renewable energy and food products.
These vital resources are at risk and we must all do our bit to safeguard it.
Keep reading to find out the impacts marine pollution has, what Yorkshire Wildlife Trust are doing about it and the actions we can all be taking to prevent our seas from choking...
Explore our 2023 results below...
It does not matter how far we live from the sea, out of every 10 breaths you take, 7 come from the ocean.
What's the damage?
Yorkshire’s incredible wildlife is under threat - every day we see the shocking impact of human activity on our seas. Tiny microplastics and tangles of deadly rubbish are polluting our beaches and choking our wildlife. Agricultural runoff, pesticides and untreated sewage fill our seas with toxic chemicals. Our wild creatures, from tiny crabs to majestic whales, suffer stomachs blocked with plastic and chemical filled waters.
Unfortunately Yorkshire is not exempt. It is estimated that within the North Sea alone, approximately 20,000 tonnes of waste is dumped annually - that is the equivalent weight of 130 blue whales!
Oil is regularly carried out to sea via runoff from roads, rivers and drainpipes
300 million tons of plastic is created annually, and 50% is single use only
It is predicted that there will be more plastic than fish in our seas by 2050
Plastic causes the death of more than a million seabirds & 100,000 marine mammals every year
What are Yorkshire Wildlife Trust doing?
Below are various projects that we are delivering to tackle the marine pollution crisis and to better understand the issue.
Litter surveys
We have a team of dedicated volunteers who carry out litter surveys along the Yorkshire coastline. They record everything they find within an area and all of this information is sent to The Rivers Trust and local councils to be included within global datasets.
In 2023 we:
- Completed 105 litter surveys
- Cleaned 66 miles
- Spent 241 hours surveying litter
Our top 10 items per 100m (average) were:
- Unidentified plastic & polystyrene (21)
- String, cord & rope (8)
- Cigarette butts (8)
- Plastic food packets & wrappers (5)
- Plastic drink bottles & containers (5)
- Clothing & fabrics (3)
- Fishing line (3)
- Plastic caps & lids (3)
- Plastic cups (2)
- Lobster pot pieces (1)
If you are interested in becoming a Litter Surveyor for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, email livingseas@ywt.org.uk.
Microplastic surveys
In collaboration with the Marine Conservation Society and the Yorkshire Marine Nature Partnership, we carry out microplastic surveys along the Yorkshire coastline. All data collected is sent to The Big Microplastic Survey.
Shoresearch
Shoresearch is The Wildlife Trusts' national citizen science survey of the intertidal shore, the exciting world of extremes where the sea meets the land. It's a great way to explore the Yorkshire coast, learn more about the wildlife found there and add to our understanding of this important habitat.
Volunteers are trained to identify and record the wildlife on Yorkshire shores. The data collected by this project helps experts to monitor our fragile sea life and better understand the effects of pollution, climate change and invasive alien species. Shoresearch data has been key to designating many of our Marine Conservation Zones.
Fishing line bins
We have placed dedicated bins for monofilament fishing line at angling hotspots along the Yorkshire coastline. Fishing line is extremely durable and is predicted to take up to 600 years to fully break down in the sea. During this time it can entangle wildlife and also break down into smaller and smaller pieces which can be ingested by animals.
All of the fishing line collected by our bins is sent to the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme to be turned into other products like bins and benches.
Fishing For Litter
By providing free disposal for old or discarded fishing waste at harbour sides, our Fishing for Litter scheme prevents rubbish from entering our seas in the first place. Previously, sea users would have to pay to dispose of this at a cost unaffordable for many smaller vessels.
Our scheme removes this barrier and makes it easy to safely dispose of fishing waste. Fewer animals will become entangled and trapped, and fishing communities are supported - they have to spend less time extracting litter from their nets.
We're working in partnership with East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the fishing community to install disposal sites up and down the Yorkshire coast. With your help, we work towards a goal that every sea user knows when and where they can safely dispose of marine litter.
80% of marine pollution comes from the land. From choking micro-plastics to toxic pesticides and sewage, the work to clean up our seas begins far inland.
A young female grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) swims over kelp. Photographed in July. Farne Islands, Northumberland, England, British Isles. North Sea - Alexander Mustard/2020VISION
With your help, we can clean up our seas
What can you do?
We want everyone across Yorkshire to understand where marine pollution comes from and how we can all help to clean up our seas.
Family beach clean (c) Lisa O'Boyle
Join us on a beach clean!
For our organised beach cleans, all you need to do is turn up with a pair of gloves. Dress appropriately for the weather - remember it can be brisk in the North Sea breeze!
We provide litter pickers and bin bags for you to use. Once we've finished our litter pick, we arrange for the rubbish to be collected.
Get your business involved!
Sign up to our Marine Pollution Pledge to find more information about the impacts of marine pollution and what Yorkshire businesses can do to help. We all have our role to play in turning the tide on marine pollution - and businesses can have a huge impact.
Sign up below to receive checklists, resources, incentives and personalised support from our expert marine team.
If you decide to take action to help save our seas, we will provide you with a certificate and logo so you can spread the word!
Join us on a Wild Work Day!
Our bespoke Wild Work Days are a great way to get your team together, re-connect with nature, improve communication, build team rapport and give back to wildlife and communities.
These tailor-made days can take place at any of our nature reserves across Yorkshire. Tasks range from hanging bird boxes, to surveying butterflies, to beach cleans.
