It is estimated that between 5-10 million tonnes of trash enter our oceans each year, the majority of which is plastic. Some types of plastic take hundreds of years to decompose. During this time, they have the potential to cause significant damage to coral reefs and the organisms that live there. Trash items may cause mechanical damage to coral structures, or prevent polyps from gaining access to light, both of which significantly affect the coral’s ability to survive. Trash items may deceive organisms into thinking they are prey, and have often resulted in an organism’s death when consumed in large quantities. Many species also face the risk of entanglement in certain pieces of trash, and reports of damage or death to marine organisms from entanglement has been frequently reported.