Public awareness and perceptions of ocean plastic pollution and support for solutions in the United States

Abstract

We conducted a nationally-representative survey of United States (U.S.) adults (n=1,960) in 2021 to gather insights on the knowledge, perceptions, and concerns about threats to the ocean, with a specific focus on plastics and microplastic pollution. Responses from the U.S. adult survey group were compared to a group of highly-engaged, Ocean Conservancy members who are very attuned to ocean issues (n=882). Ocean Conservancy is a U.S.-based nonprofit environmental advocacy group working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest challenges. Plastic pollution was the primary ocean concern identified by both U.S. adults and Ocean Conservancy members, surpassing eight other threat categories including oil spills, chemical and nutrient pollution, and climate change. Broad concern was reported for both study groups about the impacts of ocean plastics on marine wildlife, with human health and coastal community impact concerns being less prominent. About half of U.S. adults and 90% of Ocean Conservancy members had heard of microplastics. Both study groups indicated widespread support for microplastic pollution prevention measures in the U.S. and believed industry to be most responsible for taking action to address it. Ocean Conservancy members were generally better informed and more concerned about plastic pollution impacts and microplastics than U.S. adults and reported significantly greater levels of personal action to reduce their plastic footprint when compared to U.S. adults. In general, U.S. adults reported a willingness to refuse single-use plastics, but less frequently brought personal food containers to restaurants for takeout, or contacted local representatives or businesses about reducing plastic waste and pollution. Overall, our survey results provide new insights about public understanding of ocean threats and plastic pollution, willingness to participate in individual plastic-reduction actions, and support for needed solutions.

Public conservation connection and support between ocean and terrestrial systems in the United States

“…Similar to other U.S. specific studies with akin sample sizes [ 37 ], plastic pollution and oil spills where the top concerns across both surveys of our study. There have been major social-marketing campaigns around plastic pollution [ 37 , 38 ], ocean-based oil spills can have very visible and disastrous impacts on animals and local communities [ 39 ]–though evidence of singular environmental disasters’ influence is mixed [ 40 ]–and the ocean may still be seen as more wild, perhaps pristine, compared to the more engrained use and privatization of land [ 41 ]. While it is likely a combination of these and other factors, what is driving the slight difference may be worth further investigation.…”

Accumulation, tissue distribution, health hazard of microplastics in a commercially important cat fish, Silonia silondia from a tropical large-scale estuary

“…Highly processed foods like fish sticks, chicken nuggets, tofu, and plant-based burgers were found to have slightly higher MP content per gram compared to minimally processed proteins like chicken breast, although the difference was statistically insignificant. According to Baechler et al (2024), the mean number of microplastics consumed in a single serving for seafood, terrestrial meat, and plant-based protein was 120 ± 320, 32 ± 61, and 40 ± 69 MPS, respectively. This ubiquity of MP across protein types suggests that the source of proteins, whether from the ocean, land, or animal production facilities, does not distinctly influence overall MP contamination levels.…”