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Ocean pollution impacts on the ecosystem
Cause and effect essay on ocean pollution
Ocean pollution impacts on the ecosystem
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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). …show more content…
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 …show more content…
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
The Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) was originally the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948. The original objective behind this act was to “to prepare comprehensive programs for eliminating or reducing the pollution of interstate waters and tributaries and improving the sanitary condition of surface and underground waters.” (U.S Fish and Wild Life Service, 2013). Throughout the duration of this paper the various amendments and their effects will be discussed, those involved both on the side of support and opposition and what influenced the amendments to be made and passed.
Which means their obviously bad for the aquatic marine life environment & are cause many different forms of damage for them & us as one. On p.g. 23 of The New York Times upfront magazine “Birds,fish, sea turtles, & others are getting tangled in plastic bags or mistake them for food & choke”. Someone else might argue that they could the plastic bags in landfills instead of oceans. But that counter- argument is flawed because you’re just polluting by burning plastic which is bad on our part we’re not doing our part to support & taking care of the earth. Plastic in the ocean isn't just bad for plants & animals but for humans too because of the food chain some of us eat animals as a meat source such as aqua marine life like fish. If the fishermen catch fish that have been eating plastic then it's in our food supply if we eat that fish it's gonna be bad for us so many will end up getting sick from the plastic inside of the fish then what will we do our aqua marine food supply will go down the drain we couldn’t eat the fish since it's basically contaminated with plastic that we’re dumping there instead of trying to fix it & getting rid of plastic bags for good for the good of the earth. We’re causing damage towards the earth by dumping all that plastic into the ocean which damages our water supply it’ll poison us although we clean the water it depends on how big the plastic particles are, it’ll make us sick & sense it’s been lying in the oceans could bring in new pathogens &
...rs” the reef and prevents light that is necessary to the coral’s survival from reaching the reef (48). Another major environmental threat to coral reefs is pollution. Pollution can come from a wide array of sources and have a variety of adverse effects on coral reefs. Some common pollutants of coral reefs include sewage, silt, urban and industrial waste, oil, fertilizer runoff, pesticides and other chemicals. Common effects of these pollutants include overgrowth of algae and poisoning of the plants and animals within the reef (DuTemple, 45).
Ocean pollution is an out of sight, out of mind kind of situation. Pollution enters the ocean through how humans dispose of waste, accidents and carelessness. Ocean pollution destroys everything and there are multiple types of ocean pollution. There’s thermal, oil, plastic, and chemical pollution. Over 80% of ocean pollution is from land based activates which are careless. Ocean pollution causes hundreds of deaths to ocean plants and animals because of human negligence to the ocean.
Pollution is another of the largest threats to reefs across the world, and one of the most hazardous forms of pollution is actually the presence of excess nutrients. Due mainly to runoff of fertilizers and sewage, unnatural amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are introduced to the reef environment. This spike in nutrient levels causes a severe increase in the populations of algae and phytoplankton, commonly referred to as an “algae bloom.” While an increase in these photosynthetic organisms might sound beneficial, the result is actually catastrophic. The massive algal colony consumes the oxygen dissolved in the water, leading to hypoxic conditions, and blocks out sunlight, which is harmful to both the coral and the fish. Additionally, the high levels of nitrate and phosphorus are directly toxic to the corals,...
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest garbage dump in the world. According to estimates made by experts, the patch holds approximately three and a half million tons of garbage. Majority of this garbage is made of plastic. This waste is a threatening problem to the patch’s surrounding wildlife. Many animals are caught in the floating pieces of trash and it is the cause of the deaths of about one million birds and about one hundred thousand other sea animals. Due to the oceans nature and constant moving currents, the trash is also constantly moving. Therefore the size of the patch never stays the exact same. However, scientists believe it be approximately two times the size of Texas. The plastic is mostly broken down from larger materials into small pieces. The patch has been referred to as one scientist as a, “plastic soup”. This garbage poses such a threat mainly because it does not biodegrade. These plastics will be in the ocean essentially forever. Many plastics also contain chemicals, and absorb other chemicals and pollutants they become exposed to. These newly absorbed toxins are then leaked and distributed back into the ocean over time. The chemicals can directly enter the bodies of the animals which consume them. A study was being conducted by scientists of the fish that inhabit the area around the patch. What the researchers found inside the belly of one fish (that was no larger in size than that of a finger), was eighty four small fragments of plastic. It does not take scientists to recognize the impact of this problem, Zach Gold, who is sixteen, is from Santa Monica California. Zach enjoys s...
Water pollution has had devastating effects on the environment, which include irreversible effects to the oceans ecosystem. People often underestimate the importance of the ocean. They don’t realize how much damage pollution has caused to the ocean and the thousand of creatures that inhabit it. Earth is a huge place, but resources are actually very limited and will not last forever; unless there is a balance. We must protect the resources we have in order for them to last into the next generation. Every time we throw away a plastic bottle, drive our cars, and even burn those millions of fossil fuels to operate all those huge factories, there is a chance it will pollute the ocean and eventually effect the way we live. There should be stricter laws regulating human pollution, in order to protect our oceans ecosystem.
Most damage to the reef has occurred in the last fifty years. It coincided almost exactly with an increase in land clearing (source 11) and the disappearance of wet lands (source 1) for coastal development followed by population growth (source 7) and farming (source 11). These disturbances to the environment damage natural habitats and loosened the sediment causing it to be washed into the ocean. The pollutants and pesticides from farming together with a sharp increase in the use of synthetic nitrogen in fertilizers (source 8) in the last fifty years sped up inland pollution. The pollutants bind with the sediments creating a sticky mud that covers the coral algae called zooxanthellae killing the coral. Pollutants and sediments also create a hazy cloud in the water blocking out sunlight and preventing photosynthesis. (source 12) Apart from this there is also an increase in marine based pollution such as ship wrecks (source 3) h...
Marine Biology Marine biology is the study of ocean life, estuaries, and wetlands to the extent of marine life and environments. Remotely operated vehicles, underwater habitats, satellites, sonar, computers, fiber optics, and many more are all used in this field of study. Marine biology can prevent the effects of ocean health, planet health, human health, sustainability, biodiversity, research, and product development. The oceans being effected can spread around to the whole world and impact a wide range of people and land masses. Marine biology and oceanography are typically confusing terms.
Our oceans take a large beating every day by the extremely large amount of pollution humans produce. Our society easily dumps their waste into the oceans to dispose of the excessive amount of garbage, sewage, and chemicals, but this small and simple solution is creating an even bigger problem. The way humans dispose of their wastes is causing the death of our beloved marine life. Not only are we killing off our animals, our food source, and our resources, we are also minimizing our usable water. By having a better understanding of the problem on the severe dumping, it will be easier to find ways to help minimize the pollution that is going into the ocean.
The need for food and livelihood has lead the people living there to fish and survive off of the natural resources that the reef has to offer them. As coral reefs are among the most diverse fishing grounds, this has caused overfishing and multiple other drastic events to occur. The coral fish are being fished for food, sport and for live fish art such as tanks and aquariums. Chemical fishing, which includes the use of cyanide to stun and capture live fish, causes the coral polyps to be killed and it also degrades the reef habitat. This causes coral bleaching and “re-establishment of the symbiosis may take from six months to one year or more” (Threats to coral reefs: The effects of chemical pollution - Marine Biodiversity Wiki, no date). Another method of fishing that can cause a devastating impact on coral is dynamite fishing. This way of fishing shatters coral colonies and kills the coral tissues on adjacent colonies (The Nature Conservancy, 2016). Over time, other types of algae will replace the ejected dead and poisonous zooxanthellae in the coral. Changes in the algae living on the coral will lead “to changes in the species of fish and other animals living on the reef.” (Coral bleaching, no
When the plastics enter into the oceans, some young fish are drawn to them, and seem to think that it is food, and they end up preferring the plastic to their natural food sources which eventually starves them before they can reach their reproductive age. The microplastics have been found in the bodies of whales, seabirds, and fish. Marine organisms ingest the particles, but they are unable to digest them, this leads to a buildup in the digestive tracts of the animals which hinders the microorganisms from taking in more food, and it diminishes the organisms feeding stimulus which can lead to starvation (Fossi, M. C, 2014). Studies have proved that the physiological consequences of crabs taking up polystyrene microspheres through their gills are minimal. When the crabs inhale polystyrene microspheres into their gills chambers, it leads to a small but temporary change in ion regulation and oxygen
The Earth’s surface is covered by over two-thirds of water. With half of the world being covered by water; pollution in the water is a very big crisis that can actually be reduced to some extent. Water pollution is a human problem because it seems to be a recent development that started round the end of the 19th century. Scientists say that “humans have limits with an estimated 7 billion people on the planet, and pollution is a sign of exceeded pollution. According to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) pollution is a serious problem. “Pollution from toxic chemicals threatens life on this planet. Every ocean and every continent, from the tropics to the once-pristine polar regions, is contaminated." Now that we know how serious it is, let’s talk about what pollution is, what causes it, the effects, and how we can help.
Although plastic bags appear to be fragile and light, their negative environmental effect is devastating. Plastic bags may cause large amounts of pollution in every step of their limited life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials, production, transportation, and recycling or disposal. Plastic bags can be defined as the most damaging form of environmental pollution. They can have a damaging effect on marine animals and wildlife in addition to the aesthetic effects on beaches, parks, and trees. Plastic bags are potentially one of the main causes of death to marine animals (Harbor keepers,2008). Up to one hundred thousand marine animals or more die each year from eating plastic bags which are mistaken for food. This can result in blocking the animal’s intestines and possibly lead to the animal’s death. Another possible situation is that wildlife, such as birds, can get tangled in plastic bags causing choking and immobility, which may eventually lead to death. (Senior, 2008) and (Citizen Campaign, 2010). In other situations, after plastic bags photo degrade they remain toxic and could be eaten by fish, shellfish or any other marine life and survive this allows the toxins to enter our food chain through bioaccumulation (Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, 2011).
Water Pollution is a current issue that has serious consequences; it progresses everyday in our lakes, oceans, rivers and other bodies of water.