Essay On Marine Pollution

Like all types of pollution, marine pollution has a long history, but international laws were not brought in place until the twentieth century. For a very long time, humans have unknowingly been polluting water. This polluted water includes drinking water, and in the 19th century, it led to many diseases. During the industrial revolution companies were dumping chemicals directly into bodies of water. One ramification of this was in 1969 when the Cuyahoga River in Ohio burst into flames. All of these tragic events led to the 1972 Clean Water Act, which establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulates quality standards for surface waters (U.S Environmental Protection Agency).

According to an article written by Paul L.A. Erftemeijer, Bernhard Riegl, Bert W. Hoeksema, and Peter A. Todd, “dredging operations have contributed to the loss of coral reef habitats, either directly due to the removal or burial of reefs, or indirectly as a consequence of lethal or sublethal stress to corals caused by elevated turbidity and sedimentation.” Once corals have settled they are an immobile species. The growth of corals highly depends on a symbiotic relationship with algae called zooxanthellae. Zooxanthellae live in the coral tissue and produce the corals energy through photosynthesis. Since they use photosynthesis to produce energy they need sunlight, which is where dredging becomes a problem. When dredging occurs it causes sediment to suspend in very fine grains, which decreases the amount of light, thus decreasing the possibility of photosynthesis for the zooxanthellae. There are non-photosynthetic corals, but they can also suffer from the consequences of dredging. “Non-photosynthetic corals are an exception to this but while they may not suffer from light reduction, they can be impacted by high loads of suspended sediment through clogging and smothering” (Erftemeijer et.al. 1741). An article on MarineBio.org, “Ocean Pollution”, highly focuses on the negative effects of ocean pollution. One main point is eutrophication, which is when “oxygen-depleting

These chemical problems have caused a wide range of problems, including “cancer-causing mutations”. The breakdown of plastics in the ocean cause them to release toxic chemicals The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report estimates that around 130,000 dolphins, whales, and porpoises are caught in nets each year. David W. Laist reports that “more than 260 species are reported to have been entangled in, or to have ingested, marine debris”. Ingestion of plastics happen widely because the marine animals mistake it for food; the results can be fatal. Marine animals also get tangled in different types of plastic which often result in growth problems, or death if they are unable to surface when