TINA's Gogerly's mission supports research conducted by the CSIRO and Imperial College London which assess the threat of plastic on the world’s seabirds, including albatrosses, shearwaters and penguins.
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Tina is known as the area's 'garbage warrior'.
The study, led by Dr Chris Wilcox with co-authors Drs Denise Hardesty and Erik van Sebille and published in the journal PNAS, found that nearly 60 per cent of all seabird species have plastic in their gut.
It found that in 1960 plastic was found in just five per cent of birds had risen to 80 per cent in 2010 and is predicted to affect 99 per cent by 2050, based on current trends.
The greatest impact is in the Southern Ocean, in a band around the southern edges of Australia, South Africa and South America.
The plastic includes bags, bottle caps, and plastic fibres from synthetic clothes, which have washed out into the ocean from urban rivers, sewers and waste deposits.
Birds mistake the brightly coloured items for food, or swallow them by accident, and this causes gut impaction, weight loss and sometimes even death.
Dr Denise Hardesty from CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere said seabirds were excellent indicators of ecosystem health.
Dr Hardesty said there was still the opportunity to change the impact plastic has on seabirds.
“Improving waste management can reduce the threat plastic is posing to marine wildlife. Even simple measures can make a difference,” she said.
Tina Gogerly said she felt the only way forward was if a whole community took responsibility for the problem.
“Ways we can all change this litter problem is by getting out there...picking up any rubbish you find and disposing of it appropriately. Always take home with you whatever rubbish you take out with you. If you are heading to the beach or park, take a rubbish bag or think ahead about how you will dispose of any rubbish you will have,” Tina said.
Tina suggested taking aluminium or reusable bottles for drinks instead of buying plastic, one-use bottles.
“I find 75 per cent of all rubbish is plastic, glass and aluminium drink bottles. Start talking about the rubbish problems you find in your favourite spots.
I find using social media is a great way to get the conversation going and makes people think twice before leaving that piece of rubbish in our environment,” Tina said.
“I have been putting hand painted signs around some of my favourite spots to try and help and have started a hashtag #keepourparadiserubbishfree to hopefully encourage other people to pick up rubbish they find and let the community know about their efforts. I have started selling stickers for car windows in the hope of creating a community effort to change this rubbish problem and keep our paradise rubbish free coming into holiday season.”
