Most Endangered Marine Mammals Face Highest Plastic Risk

Study ranks Hawaiian monk seal most at risk of extinction from plastic pollution - EnviroNews - latest environment news, climate change, renewable energy

A new study released in Conservation Biology on Wednesdy, April 15, 2026, and co-authored by scientists at Ocean Conservancy, Arizona State University and Shaw Institute is said to be the first to rank marine mammals based on their vulnerability to macroplastic pollution. Macroplastic implies any plastic piece larger than 5mm, roughly the width of a pencil eraser. The study, A global ranking of the relative vulnerability of marine mammals to mac…

Most endangered marine mammals face highest plastic risk

Three quarters of marine mammals in the highest-risk category for plastic ingestion and entanglement are already classified as threatened.