THE discovery of microplastics in our large and iconic marine mammals will shock many people who are in awe of these wonderful creatures that live so far away from our supermarkets and industries.

The finding is, however, just a consequence of our reliance on plastics, as the ever-present material of our age, and of the ease at which we dispose of it.

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The discovery therefore should not come as a surprise. In recent years microplastics have already been found in sea creatures living in some of the remotest parts of the oceans such as the polar regions and the deep sea.

Some of my colleagues at the Scottish Association for Marine Science recently examined smaller deep-sea specimens that they had collected over many expeditions since 1976. To their surprise, they found that deep-sea creatures have been ingesting microplastics at surprisingly similar levels over the last 40 years at least. The suggestion, therefore, is that the problem has been around a lot longer than we had suspected or been aware of.

Our specimens were taken from depths of around 2000 metres off Scotland in the area around Rockall, giving us another indication of how widespread microplastics are within the marine ecosystem as they are distributed by ocean currents from our industrialised coasts to round about everywhere.

Finding microplastic particles inside marine mammals is not unexpected as they are top predators in an ecosystem that we know is full of microplastics at the bottom. What we urgently need to understand better is the consequences of microplastic in marine life. In smaller creatures it can fill their digestive tracts. If it cannot be flushed out, it can result in the animals starving to death with clogged tummies – just like seabirds.

Plastic can, however, also be toxic. It is also known to adsorb toxic compounds such as persistent organic pollutants. Ingesting those particles even in moderate quantities could do real harm to larger creatures.

Researchers are gathering evidence on the health implications of microplastics in our sea. They are also working on technological solutions such as the development of new materials that might be more easily recycled or that biodegrade or self-destruct under controlled conditions.

But plastic is a fantastic material the use of which is growing year on year. The industry is worth hundreds of billions of pounds and is predicted to triple by 2050. What is bad is not the plastic itself – it is our approach to not dealing with plastic waste. Single-use plastic is a massive problem. We need a global alliance to bring about a step change in how we deal with it. We need a circular economy for non-degradable materials.

Science can define the problem, it can fill crucial gaps in our knowledge, it can invent new tools and provide options but it is society that makes decisions on how and what we produce and use.

The animals and plants on our planet have to deal with the consequences of our choices.

Dr Anuschka Miller is head of communications at the Scottish Association for Marine Science