More than half the world's turtles and two-thirds of some bird species along Australia's east coast are being found to have ingested plastics as the toll from pollution mounts, a leading CSIRO researcher said.

With plastic production almost doubling each decade, the world's oceans are receiving a proportional increase in plastic waste.

On current projections, by mid-century, some 95 per cent of all sea birds will be found with plastic inside them, said Denise Hardesty, a senior CSIRO research scientist, said.

"Birds are top predators and a really good indication of the eco-system health of our oceans," Dr Hardesty told Fairfax Media. "Humans are increasingly reliant on our oceans for our food and livelihood."