This story has been adapted and edited into a multimedia interactive format from the original by Münire Bozdemir for research purposes. We gratefully thank Torben Lonne, the author of the original story, for his support and generosity. Interactive elements appear on each page; look for buttons and icons to explore more. When you’re done reading, please take a moment to complete the survey—your responses will help support our research.
Start Reading
How I woke up to the plastic pollution problem
By Torben Lonne
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a young couple to dive in Thailand on one of my favorite reefs. Weather conditions were perfect, with mild currents and excellent visibility of the stunning topography and bright, vivid corals. Even through the regulator, I could see the smiles on my students’ faces. The dive couldn’t have been better — that is until we started making our way back to the boat. As we swam back along the reef, I noticed the current changing and with that, huge quantities of trash and plastic began to flood the area.
I saw small reef fish swimming amongst the straws, plastic bags and fragments; I even noticed they were pecking at the plastic. As we ended the dive and got back onboard the boat, we had plastic all around us. The water seemed more like a trash site than ocean.
Since that fateful plastic polluted dive, I have become an ocean advocate and I spend my days trying to get the message out there to people from all over the world of just how destructive ocean pollution is not only to marine life but also to humankind.
scope and scale of plastic pollution
its impact on marine life and humans
real solutions
My experience is not isolated; it reflects a growing global reality. Each year, an estimated 8–12 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans. The map below shows average plastic waste per person across countries. As you explore, consider: Who produces the most plastic, and who is most affected?
Plastic pollution doesn't stay where it's produced. It travels across the globe, reaching even the most remote environments. In 2025, researchers analyzed snow samples from Antartic sites such as Union Glacier and South Pole and they found microplastics in all samples. Concentrations ranged from 73 to 3099 particles per liter. (Jones-Williams et al., 2023) The widespread presence of plastic has serious consequences for both marine ecosystems and human health.
Impacts of pollution on marine life
Impacts of pollution on humans
While the state of our oceans is deeply concerning, there are real solutions within reach:
ACT NOW!
STORM SOCIAL MEDIA!
Let's get to work!
5 things you can do today
Support the movement online
TRACK YOUR PLASTIC USE!
DISPATCH TO FELLOW DIVERS
Here are some free Apps
Your actions do matter.
DISRUPT THE SYSTEM!
Write to your representatives
The underwater world is truly spectacular, with its huge variety of marine life, mixed with stunningly vivid colored corals and epic underwater scenes. And even if you don’t ever see the magical underwater world yourself, know that it is there, amazingly beautiful, all the time. And we need to do all we can to protect it.
Torben Lonne
Gall, S. C., & Thompson, R. C. (2015). The impact of debris on marine life. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 92(1–2), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.041 Greenpeace International. (2018, June 7). Plastic pollution reaches the Antarctic. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/16917/plastic-pollution-reaches-the-antarctic/ Greenpeace International. (n.d.). Toolkit for a plastic-free future. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toolkit-plastic-free-future/ Greenpeace USA. (2018, June 8). Key facts about plastic pollution. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/key-facts-about-plastic-pollution/ Jones-Williams, K., Rowlands, E., Primpke, S., Galloway, T., Cole, M., Waluda, C., & Manno, C. (2023). Microplastics in Antarctica: A plastic legacy in the Antarctic snow? The Cryosphere, 17, 123–140. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-123-2023 Lonne, T. (n.d.). Ocean pollution: Causes, effects, and solutions. DiveIn. https://www.divein.com/diving/ocean-pollution/ Our World in Data. (n.d.). Plastic waste and pollution. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution United Nations Environment Programme. (2023). Turning off the tap: How the world can end plastic pollution. Images and video content are courtesy of DiveIn.com and Pexels.com.
Take a survey about your experience
Small Actions Matter!
Dear fellow divers, If you’re on a dive and notice a piece of plastic floating past you, why not grab it and put it in the pocket of your BCD? Or, if you’re walking along the beach and see some plastic on the sand, make sure you collect it. By doing these small actions, you might even save the life of a marine creature.
#BreakFreeFromPlastic What it is: A global movement that tracks and challenges corporate plastic pollution. How to join:1. Join a cleanup or brand audit 2. Record brands found in waste 3. Share results using #BreakFreeFromPlastic
#IsThisYours What it is: A campaign that holds companies accountable for plastic pollution. How to join:1. Take a photo of plastic waste (especially branded items)2. Post it on social media3. Tag the company + use #IsThisYours
According to the UN Environment Programme (2023), plastics are linked to more than 13,000 chemicals—among them asbestos, lead, mercury, and petrochemicals. Once in the water, these substances don’t just disappear. They move through marine life and into the food chain. In the ocean, microorganisms transform mercury into methylmercury—its most toxic form. Plankton absorb it. Small fish eat the plankton. Larger fish eat the smaller ones. At each step, the concentration increases—until it reaches your plate, contributing to hormonal disruption, reproductive problems, and damage to the nervous system and kidneys.
Illustration by Vivian Li, published in New York Times, May 7, 2020
Ingestion: As plastic fragments in the ocean, it begins to look like food. Marine animals ingest it unknowingly, and earlier estimates suggest that at least 35% of seabirds, 47% of sea turtles, and 12% of marine mammals have been affected (Gall & Thompson, 2015), with more recent studies pointing to even higher rates (Jones-Williams et al., 2023). Entanglement: Marine animals can become trapped in fishing nets, plastic bags, and other debris, restricting movement and causing injury or death. Behavioral changes: Exposure to plastic pollution can alter feeding habits and reduce survival rates. Dead zones: Pollution also contributes to the formation of oxygen-depleted “dead zones,” where marine life cannot survive. Today, more than 500 such zones have been identified worldwide.
Photo is from pexels.com
Lower-income countries generate less plastic waste per person, but a larger share becomes pollution due to weaker waste management infrastructure. (Cottom et al. (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data)
Torben Lonne is a scuba diver, ocean lover and a dad who is deeply concerned with how we are treating our oceans. He runs Divein.com, an online magazine about scuba diving and about how divers can make a positive difference for the environment. He says: “One of my biggest fears is that I’ll not be able to show my kids what diving really is because there’ll be nothing left for them to see.”
Track personal plastic use:
Scan products for plastics:
Report pollution:
marine debris tracker
My Little Plastic footprint
PLASTIC FREE FUTURE
5 things you can do today:
1. Bring a reusable bottle 2. Say no to plastic bags 3. Choose natural fabrics 4. Recycle right 5. Pick up 1 piece of trash
Plastic waste collected during one dive. It’s too easy to find.
Email a government official:
Make a phone call:
Start a petition:
sample petition
phone script
EMAIL TEMPLATE
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Transcript
This story has been adapted and edited into a multimedia interactive format from the original by Münire Bozdemir for research purposes. We gratefully thank Torben Lonne, the author of the original story, for his support and generosity. Interactive elements appear on each page; look for buttons and icons to explore more. When you’re done reading, please take a moment to complete the survey—your responses will help support our research.
Start Reading
How I woke up to the plastic pollution problem
By Torben Lonne
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of teaching a young couple to dive in Thailand on one of my favorite reefs. Weather conditions were perfect, with mild currents and excellent visibility of the stunning topography and bright, vivid corals. Even through the regulator, I could see the smiles on my students’ faces. The dive couldn’t have been better — that is until we started making our way back to the boat. As we swam back along the reef, I noticed the current changing and with that, huge quantities of trash and plastic began to flood the area.
I saw small reef fish swimming amongst the straws, plastic bags and fragments; I even noticed they were pecking at the plastic. As we ended the dive and got back onboard the boat, we had plastic all around us. The water seemed more like a trash site than ocean.
Since that fateful plastic polluted dive, I have become an ocean advocate and I spend my days trying to get the message out there to people from all over the world of just how destructive ocean pollution is not only to marine life but also to humankind.
scope and scale of plastic pollution
its impact on marine life and humans
real solutions
My experience is not isolated; it reflects a growing global reality. Each year, an estimated 8–12 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans. The map below shows average plastic waste per person across countries. As you explore, consider: Who produces the most plastic, and who is most affected?
Plastic pollution doesn't stay where it's produced. It travels across the globe, reaching even the most remote environments. In 2025, researchers analyzed snow samples from Antartic sites such as Union Glacier and South Pole and they found microplastics in all samples. Concentrations ranged from 73 to 3099 particles per liter. (Jones-Williams et al., 2023) The widespread presence of plastic has serious consequences for both marine ecosystems and human health.
Impacts of pollution on marine life
Impacts of pollution on humans
While the state of our oceans is deeply concerning, there are real solutions within reach:
ACT NOW!
STORM SOCIAL MEDIA!
Let's get to work!
5 things you can do today
Support the movement online
TRACK YOUR PLASTIC USE!
DISPATCH TO FELLOW DIVERS
Here are some free Apps
Your actions do matter.
DISRUPT THE SYSTEM!
Write to your representatives
The underwater world is truly spectacular, with its huge variety of marine life, mixed with stunningly vivid colored corals and epic underwater scenes. And even if you don’t ever see the magical underwater world yourself, know that it is there, amazingly beautiful, all the time. And we need to do all we can to protect it.
Torben Lonne
Gall, S. C., & Thompson, R. C. (2015). The impact of debris on marine life. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 92(1–2), 170–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.12.041 Greenpeace International. (2018, June 7). Plastic pollution reaches the Antarctic. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/16917/plastic-pollution-reaches-the-antarctic/ Greenpeace International. (n.d.). Toolkit for a plastic-free future. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/toolkit-plastic-free-future/ Greenpeace USA. (2018, June 8). Key facts about plastic pollution. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/key-facts-about-plastic-pollution/ Jones-Williams, K., Rowlands, E., Primpke, S., Galloway, T., Cole, M., Waluda, C., & Manno, C. (2023). Microplastics in Antarctica: A plastic legacy in the Antarctic snow? The Cryosphere, 17, 123–140. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-123-2023 Lonne, T. (n.d.). Ocean pollution: Causes, effects, and solutions. DiveIn. https://www.divein.com/diving/ocean-pollution/ Our World in Data. (n.d.). Plastic waste and pollution. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution United Nations Environment Programme. (2023). Turning off the tap: How the world can end plastic pollution. Images and video content are courtesy of DiveIn.com and Pexels.com.
Take a survey about your experience
Small Actions Matter!
Dear fellow divers, If you’re on a dive and notice a piece of plastic floating past you, why not grab it and put it in the pocket of your BCD? Or, if you’re walking along the beach and see some plastic on the sand, make sure you collect it. By doing these small actions, you might even save the life of a marine creature.
#BreakFreeFromPlastic What it is: A global movement that tracks and challenges corporate plastic pollution. How to join:1. Join a cleanup or brand audit 2. Record brands found in waste 3. Share results using #BreakFreeFromPlastic
#IsThisYours What it is: A campaign that holds companies accountable for plastic pollution. How to join:1. Take a photo of plastic waste (especially branded items)2. Post it on social media3. Tag the company + use #IsThisYours
According to the UN Environment Programme (2023), plastics are linked to more than 13,000 chemicals—among them asbestos, lead, mercury, and petrochemicals. Once in the water, these substances don’t just disappear. They move through marine life and into the food chain. In the ocean, microorganisms transform mercury into methylmercury—its most toxic form. Plankton absorb it. Small fish eat the plankton. Larger fish eat the smaller ones. At each step, the concentration increases—until it reaches your plate, contributing to hormonal disruption, reproductive problems, and damage to the nervous system and kidneys.
Illustration by Vivian Li, published in New York Times, May 7, 2020
Ingestion: As plastic fragments in the ocean, it begins to look like food. Marine animals ingest it unknowingly, and earlier estimates suggest that at least 35% of seabirds, 47% of sea turtles, and 12% of marine mammals have been affected (Gall & Thompson, 2015), with more recent studies pointing to even higher rates (Jones-Williams et al., 2023). Entanglement: Marine animals can become trapped in fishing nets, plastic bags, and other debris, restricting movement and causing injury or death. Behavioral changes: Exposure to plastic pollution can alter feeding habits and reduce survival rates. Dead zones: Pollution also contributes to the formation of oxygen-depleted “dead zones,” where marine life cannot survive. Today, more than 500 such zones have been identified worldwide.
Photo is from pexels.com
Lower-income countries generate less plastic waste per person, but a larger share becomes pollution due to weaker waste management infrastructure. (Cottom et al. (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data)
Torben Lonne is a scuba diver, ocean lover and a dad who is deeply concerned with how we are treating our oceans. He runs Divein.com, an online magazine about scuba diving and about how divers can make a positive difference for the environment. He says: “One of my biggest fears is that I’ll not be able to show my kids what diving really is because there’ll be nothing left for them to see.”
Track personal plastic use:
Scan products for plastics:
Report pollution:
marine debris tracker
My Little Plastic footprint
PLASTIC FREE FUTURE
5 things you can do today:
1. Bring a reusable bottle 2. Say no to plastic bags 3. Choose natural fabrics 4. Recycle right 5. Pick up 1 piece of trash
Plastic waste collected during one dive. It’s too easy to find.
Email a government official:
Make a phone call:
Start a petition:
sample petition
phone script
EMAIL TEMPLATE