We have all heard, or used at some point, the old saying that “my dog ate my homework.” But what about an updated version of this saying? A leopard seal ate my homework. Recently researchers in New Zealand were observing the feces of leopard seals to study the species diet and they found an interesting discovery, a flash drive. The flash drive did not have anyone’s homework on it, but the opening for that joke was just too good to pass up on. But this discovery brings up the problem of ocean pollution. Polluting the ocean affects all forms of marine wildlife, from the animals that are prime for sight-seeing to the ones sold commercially for food. Heavy metals and other contaminants that result from pollution can be deposited in the tissues of organisms making them dangerous to consume. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “marine debris injures and kills marine life, interferes with navigation safety, and poses a threat to human health. Our oceans and waterways are polluted with a wide variety of marine debris, ranging from tiny microplastics to derelict fishing gear and abandoned vessels.” Earth is more than 70 percent water, if we keep polluting the ocean then soon no place on Earth will be untouched by the detrimental hands of humanity.
