how does trash/pollution impact marine organisms?

Answer 1

For starters is kills off plant and animal life. One might think that those small plants and fish are no big deal, but it is those species that the rest survive off of. If you think the food chain can be rough on land, it is ten times worse in the waters of the world.

Depending on the trash it can also cause problems with the species that do survive. Some species have contracted disease, others cannot breed, some mutate while others pass on poor genes to the next generation. Species "x" might survive but if each generation passes on poor genes sooner or later that species will not be able to survive.

It impacts more than just marine plants and animals, it also greatly impacts those of us living on the land and in the air.

The toxins in the water can seep into the ground and pollute not only the soil but our ground water. Animals (birds, humans, carnivores, etc) also eat a great number of the creatures that live in that water. If those fish and other animals (seal, whale, plants, etc) are laiden with toxins or disease... well needless to say it would not be healthy to eat and could cause further problems.

The list really goes on and on. Consdering the world is made up of mostly water... and that just about all life on this planet needs water to survive. Well we better take care of what we got.

Answer 2

Pollution (runoff, waste, pesticides, etc) can affect oxygen levels and cause different algae blooms, which in turn affects the entire habitat. Toxins also poison marine organisms.

Plastic bags are very dangerous, as they can be mistaken for jellyfish when they float at the top of the water. Sea turtles are one creature that eats jellyfish. When they mistake the plastic bag for food, it gets stuck in their digestive tract and can kill the animal.
Those plastic rings that hold a six pack together are also dangerous, as they can get stuck around the neck of a sea animal and suffocate it.
Fishermen that lose or leave behind a net (commercial fishermen with those huge nets) can cause the deaths of many marine animals, as they swim into the net and get stuck there, unable to eat, or in the case of dolphins, make it to the surface to breathe.