There are different ways and kinds of trash that get into the ocean from glass bottles to aluminum cans to medical waste. The majority of marine debris, however, is plastic. Scientists have accumulated up to 750,000 bits of plastic in a single square kilometer (or 1.9 million bits per square mile) of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Its sprawl may cover an area as much as one and a half times the size of the United States, Moore says, and to a depth of 100 feet, if not deeper. But because this rubbish is in the ocean, it drifts. Fragm...
Oceans generate ½ the oxygen people breath. Air pollution is responsible for 33% of the toxic contaminants that end up in oceans and coastal waters. When factories produce smoke, the smoke ends up being trapped in the ocean, contributing to the dead spots. In the ocean, there are many dead spots or dead zones, in which life cannot survive there; this is due to the lack of oxygen. Although we can clean these dead spots, we choose not to. Think of the biggest dump you 've ever seen, filled with all sorts of bottles and garbage. In the oceans there is the biggest landfill, about the double size of texas. It lays by california, a polluted state. California is a polluted state because of how big it is. Another factor that plays into california 's pollution, is the easy access to water because most of the population of california is on the coast. Fish get trapped in the garbage so close to the shore, and die. When I was snorkeling in St. Thomas, the ocean was crystal clear, and not any pieces of garbage in sight. this is because of the stricter laws they have on littering. Soon because of the ocean currents, this one beautiful non littered ocean will be disgusting and covered by
Somehow our oceans maintain the balance between being some of the most powerful forces on the earth, and the most easily disturbed masses on the planet. There are so many things that could go wrong within the countless cycles, and the delicate processes that stabalize nature and sustain the biosphere; and people are continually interfering with these cycles. Ocean acidification is one of the most obvious results of human interference upon nature. “Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we've been ignorant of their value.” ("R. Buckminster Fuller, in Memoriam").
This problem may seem prevalent and it is very important to know about. It affects marine life in many ways, but humans are also greatly affected.by this problem. People don’t realize what this problem does to them. However the human race can always work and solve this issue. People shouldn’t dump trash in the ocean or any water source. Trash can destroy coral reefs and other important ecosystems and ruin marine life. Most important sewage plants shouldn’t dump raw sewage into the ocean because it provides nutrients to harmful algae. Governments around the world should put more restrictions on sewage and the disposal of it. But if the solution wants to be solved people must work together.
Solid waste from shipping can, among other things, include glass, paper, cardboard, aluminium and steel cans, and plastics. Estimates suggest that 70% of the waste and garbage from ships sinks directly to the bottom of the ocean, 15% is washed up on shore, while the remaining 15% floats on or just under the surface, which due to sea currents often end up forming large “garbage islands”. If solid wastes are discharged at sea they may end up as marine debris, which in turn can threaten the life of marine mammals, fish, sea turtles, and birds. Although some solid waste generated by cruise ship is landed ashore for disposal or recycling, much of it is incinerated at sea; with the resulting ash typically disposed into the ocean.
There are many human activities and industries that causes marine pollution within our oceans. There is not only one source that causes marine pollution, there several other factors involved as well. One source of marine pollution is NOx and SOx, these are chemicals that are found in ship emissions that gets released into the environment through smoke; NOx and SOx are known to be very harmful to marine life (Raunek). Because of the fact that there are many types of ships out there in the ocean, the amount of NOx and SOx that goes into the ocean is plentiful no matter what because wherever the ship goes, these harmful chemicals are left behind, killing and harming almost every marine organism in its way. The next source of marine pollution is runoff and discharge that come from land (ocean.tamu.edu/). The largest discharge that enters the ocean comes from land is sewage, both industrial waste and sewage sludge(ocean.tamu.edu/). For many years, sewage has been dumped into the depths of the oceans. The sewage that has been collecting in the depths of the ocean can cause severe effects on the organisms around it; the sewage sludge can either poison or kill surrounding organisms. In addition to sewage, the oil industry is another source of pollution. The oil industry are responsible for the occasional, yet catastrophic oil spills; the oil industry are also responsible for small oil leaks that occur regularly as well (Bernard). Oil spills such as the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 which affected many people and organisms alike. The 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico had killed over 7,000 sea turtles, birds, and dolphins, and that doesn’t even include fish (Park). Because of an oil spill, thousands marine animals may have ingested or breathed...
"Ocean Pollution." MarineBio Conservation Society ~ Marine Biology, Ocean Life Conservation, Sea Creatures, Biodiversity, Research... Web. 19 May 2014.
Do you know that people are polluting oceans in so many ways, and what we are doing about it. First, my evidence shows that two billion people within thirty miles of the coast create 100 million metric tons of coastal plastic waste (Doc.1). In my own words, this evidence show that all this pollution is really harmful to ocean creatures and us. More evidence is that the North Pacific Gyre has collected lots of these pollutants, so it is nicknamed the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (O.I.). This shows how we are polluting the oceans. My next evidence shows that a Beach Act was passed in 2000 saying the EPA or the Environmental Protection Agency will help states test and monitor coastal water pollution to protect swimmers (Doc.2). This evidence
The key to reducing and eventually eliminating marine pollution is for everyone to be aware of the detrimental types of marine pollution, which are nutrient loading and sedimentation, sewage and human non degradable waste, and petroleum
Ocean Pollution is a serious issue in today's global politics. The delicate balance of Earth's ecosystem is put in jeopardy when the ocean is not clean. Problem evolving from ocean pollution directly harm marine life and indirectly affect human health and the Earth's many valuable resources. Ocean Pollution is a Broad term that encpompasses any and all foregin matter that directly or indirectly makes its way into the ocean. This includes everything from the extreme: oil spills, Toxic Waste dumping and industrial dumping-- to the small scael: human activities and basic carelessness. Because the oceans and all other water bodies are invariably, somehow connected, and because they account for 3/4 of the Earth's surface, they are an ideal method of transportation for pollution, allowing the rapid spread of seemingly far away toxins into a river near you! It is increasingly important that we educate ourselves as to what, exactly, ocean pollution is, so that we can identify the causes at their source and take action in small and large ways, and hopefully, prevent this terrible form of pollution from getting any worse than it is today.
With all this going into our today waters that is used so much many people can get sick off the waste put into the ocean waters. Some time the ocean can handle some waste from pollution out of the air or other forms but there should be limits on what people throw in there drains that is killing off sea life. For example oil from some ones car. Instead of taking the extra second to throw the product or waste away people feel it is right to flush it down a drain or let is fall were it fall. "More than 3 million tons of oil end up in the sea each year, the result of a variety of human activities, most of which take place on land. More than a third is waste oil from city drains - mainly from cars and from factories." Saying that it is only the human life that is polluting the waters.
The ocean is an abundant source of life. It is home to thousand of different creatures, provides a great source of food, and provides the earth with about one half of the oxygen needed to sustain life. (National Geographic) Pollution especially plastic, is a catastrophic problem. Ironically plastic, which is a material designed to last forever is generally used for things we tend to throw away. Every year about one hundred to two hundred billion pounds of plastic are manufactured. Only 31% of that plastic is actually recycled. Biomass packaging estimates 10% of that plastic ends up in the ocean annually. About 20% of it coming from ships and other platforms, and the other 80% coming from land derived sources, such as international garbage dumping, winds or tides either way it finds its way to the ocean.(Biomass Packaging Co., et al)
Oceans are such so vast that people underestimate the impact their actions —seeming so insignificant— have on them. Humans have by and large taken the oceans for granted; not considering how important a healthy ocean is to our survival. A popular mind-set is that the oceans are a bottomless supply of fish, natural resources, and an infinite waste dump. There are myriad reasons why the oceans should be saved and the most obvious one is marine life. With 71% of the Earth being covered by water, it is obvious that sea creatures are predominant form of life, making up 80% of the species of life on Earth. However, as important as marine life is, that is not the only reason why saving the oceans is crucial. The ocean floor provides natural resources such as, oil, natural gas, petroleum, minerals, medications, and ingredients for foods and products. The economic benefits of the oceans are huge and significant, as well. Fishing and fish products have provided employment to 38 million people and have generated about $124 billion in economic benefits. However, oceans are on the verge of crisis, marine life, natural resources, transportation, the economy, and important ingredients are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and acidification. Thus, in this essay I will argue that, oceans are not impervious to human activity and threatening the health of the ocean threatens the health of humanity, since oceans key to our survival.
Research from the University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that species in the ocean consume a projected 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year in the Pacific Ocean (Nall, 2014). Pollution of recyclable materials in the oceans is one of the leading causes of why some marine species are nearing extinction. Many authors of articles and books analyzing this topic tend to agree that pollution of our oceans is a problem. The future of this problem is where their ideas tend to differ. The following four literature reviews attempt to demonstrate and support my belief that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there are things that we as humans can do to change this. Imagine a world where we didn’t have to constantly worry about the vicious cycle of humans affecting animals and then animals in turn affecting us through consumption.
Global warming is one of the major reasons in marine pollution. For an instance in the year 2010 there was an oil leakage near Mumbai in the Arabian Sea.