What is the most common immediate impact of floating plastic on marine mammals? because there is so much plastic in the ocean, it prevents the mammals from migrating to winter mating waters. mammals can get entangled in the plastic, which can prevent them from swimming properly. many marine mammals think the plastics are predators, so they tend to swim away from it. plastics emit chemicals that decrease reproductive rates of mammals, decreasing their populations.

Mammals can get entangled in the plastic, which can prevent them from swimming properly.

Plastic is a non-biodegradable waste, which is either disposed off in the water body either as urban waste or deposited by surface runoff. Being lighter in density it floats over the surface of water body deteriorating the quality of water and affecting the life of marine animals. The marine animals may avoid the cluster of plastics or may get entangled in it, which may result in the suffocating the lives of these animals and may lead to mortality.

Hence, on the basis of above description, mammals can get entangled in the plastic, which can prevent them from swimming properly is the immediate impact of floating plastic on marine mammals.