95% of sea creatures have been found dead along a 25 mile stretch in a UNESCO Heritage Site in Eastern Russia. But despite their deadliness, the inflated fish is considered a delicacy in Japan, where trained chefs prepare it for exorbitant fees. In 2010 about 4.8–12.7 million tonnes of plastics were introduced in the ocean’s environments (Jambeck et al., 2015) and an estimated over 5 trillion plastic pieces are floating in the world's oceans ... can be ingested by a series of marine organisms with potential toxic effects. For example, hydrothermal vents are based on chemosynthesis, in which organisms get their energy from sulfur and other “toxic” chemicals. Pufferfish, or blowfish, possess venom that's 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide, making these little guys one of the most toxic animals in the world. Mercury, cadmium, and lead can become even more highly toxic in combination with organic compounds. Red tide forecasts for Florida and Texas will now be even more accurate thanks to an improved method of forecasting that will allow NOAA scientists to see more clearly where the harmful algal blooms (HABs) that cause this phenomenon are located. These shell-forming organisms provide critical habitats and food sources for other organisms. Metals are toxic if they change the structure and function of proteins and enzymes (GESAMP 2001). Metals found in the ocean that are highly toxic on their own include mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, tin, copper, nickel, selenium, and zinc. Acidification directly ocean life that build shells of calcium carbonate such as corals, scallops, lobsters and crabs, and some microscopic plankton that are a foundation of the food web throughout the ocean. Marine scientists find toxic bacteria on microplastics retrieved from tropical waters When these tiny pieces of plastics are ingested by marine organisms, they … Red tide is a common name for algal blooms, which are large concentrations of aquatic microorganisms, such as protozoans and unicellular algae (e.g. Although plastic has long been considered indestructible, some scientists say toxic chemicals from decomposing plastics may be leaching into the sea and harming marine ecosystems. The cause of the spill is being investigated, though oil has been detected. The toxic moves up the food chain as smaller contaminated animals are eaten by larger ones, leaving humans who eat a lot of fish at risk of mercury pollution. dinoflagellates and diatoms). Despite these discoveries, the deep ocean remains vastly unexplored. It's not entirely clear how methylmercury may be affecting creatures in the deepest ocean trenches. Harmful organisms usually found on land are infiltrating coastal areas, wreaking havoc on marine mammals, scientists say.