Water is one of the most important natural resources that man cannot live without. Oceans make up the largest water bodies on the planet Earth and hold up to 97% of the waters. Additionally, oceans are essential for human survival as they account for more than 50% of the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorb a lot of carbon dioxide. However, these natural resources have been subjected to unwarranted pollution by people across the globe through the dumping of garbage, oil spills, emission of toxic chemicals, ocean mining, and overfishing. Consequently, oceans are being destroyed day after day calling for urgent action to help solve this crisis.
Purpose
The purpose of this research project is to inform the readers on their activities which are responsible for ocean pollution and the consequences they have. Undeniably, ocean pollution does not happen out of the blues; instead, people's day to day activities cause it. This project will analyze this issue to provide the relevant information regarding the causes and consequences as well as provide recommendations on what measures can be taken to solve the puzzle.
Audience
This research paper targets the general public and officials because the protection of the environment is the responsibility of every person in the world. The paper will analyze pollution across the globe highlighting these activities in all the five oceans in the world (Indian, Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, and the Southern). These individuals know that ocean pollution happens and it’s detrimental. Some of these persons are ignorant, and some do not see the extent of the impact of their actions. This paper will seek to give critical insights regarding the devastating effects and what they can do differently.
Thesis
Human activities cause ocean pollution, its consequences are disastrous, and something can always be done to save the situation. This research project will analyze the issue of ocean pollution across the globe to show man's activities that contribute to it, arising consequences, and what can be done by the general public and officials to contain this problem.
Method, Materials, and Data
This research project will use an inductive approach to the issue mainly with questions such as: What are the main human activities that cause pollution in the oceans? What are the main effects of these activities? What can be done to solve the issue? Additionally, this paper will rely on previous works like “An Ocean Pollution overview” by Ruchira and Sagar; “causes and effects of Ocean Pollution from Nigerian waterways Ships” by Umo and Samson; and “Ocean Pollution” by Niels Philipsen and Andrea Rigamonti.
Expected Outcomes
This project aims to show the prevalence of ocean pollution across the globe. The paper seeks to bring into the limelight the daily actions of people that affect the largest water bodies on Earth. Furthermore, the project shall show that ocean pollution has grown to a worldwide problem which is assumed and not addressed by the relevant authorities and a lot needs to change in the handling of this enigma.
Introduction
Human activities like agriculture, industrial production, product use, and many others generate pollutants which eventually end up in the ocean. People have always thought that due to the ocean vastness, pollutants can be easily diluted hence destroying their effects on marine life. They are now aware that some pollutants are capable of altering the marine ecosystem by causing harm to marine species. Ocean pollution is defined as the release of undesirable products into the ocean. Pollutants are the substances released into the ocean by man which have negative impacts on marine life. Marine life includes animal, birds, plants and other organisms that thrive in the ocean.
Key statistics on ocean pollution
A study conducted by the University of California showed that over 10 million tons of plastics find their way to the ocean annually. The number is said to increase by 2025. Half of the total number of plastics produced yearly is only used once. Plastic Oceans states that every minute a million plastic bags are used; one bag is used for just 20 minutes before being disposed of. In 2014, more than 100 billion plastic containers were sold. According to container recycling institute,57% of the containers was used for water. This is a huge difference compared to 1986 when only 3.8 were sold (Shinde, Ruchira, and Sagar 340). This sums to 14 percent of garbage, leaving behind the seals and labels thrown out.70% of the garbage sinks at the ocean bottom. Oceanographers speculate that there is a lot of underwater trash heaps at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The first discovery of garbage heaps was discovered by a captain on a racing boat.80% of the garbage in the Pacific Ocean comes from land,20% from boaters and oil rigs. Pollutants of any nature directly harm marine life. Pollutants mainly come from the land and hence find their way to the ocean through human activities on the shores or while using water vessels.
Causes of ocean pollution
Dumping of garbage
Among all activities polluting the ocean, garbage dumping tops the list. Human waste that is untreated is led into the ocean. Dumping is depositing all kinds of wastes into the ocean. Some wastes emitted by industries contain metals like cryolite and mercury. Even the smallest amounts of these metals have a negative impact. Dumping of garbage into the ocean can cause oxygen depletion (Rathnayake and Dulika 2018). This causes poor health for the marine life like sharks, seals, and dolphins. Garbage can be identified to any man-made substance disposed on the beaches, that find their way into the ocean. They include paper, wood, plastics.80% of this garbage comes from land and 20% from ocean vessels. Cruise ships amount to 1% of ocean vessels, which produces 25% of waste (Haward and Marcus 667). According to a study conducted in 2014,8 million tons of garbage enter the ocean every year. Animals in the ocean get entangled by debris, hence drown or get cut.
Image 1-1 ocean pollution
Oil spills
Oil spills are any spills from oil distilled products like diesel fuels, kerosene, lubricating oils and crude oils which pollutes water environments. Oil spills contribute to 12% of the total oil entering the ocean.88% pollution comes from dumping, shipping travel and drains. Oil spill coming from a tanker is very dangerous because a lot of oil is being spilled at the same location. Oil cannot mix with water, instead, it creates a thick layer which is capable of suffocating fish (Walker and Tony 338). The marine birds get their feathers clogged in oil hence cannot fly. Oil also blocks sufficient light from accessing the photosynthetic aquatic plants. In the US history, the oil spills at the Gulf have been the worst so far. Local environmental conditions like air and water temperature, availability of ice, tides, and currents affect the way oil will spread throughout.
Image 1-2 a bird trapped in oil spills in the ocean.
Emission of toxic spills
Industrial wastes constitute the most form of waste directly released into the oceans leading to ocean pollution. The main victims of these type of pollutions are mammals and birds.
The release of toxic liquids directly into the ocean affects marine life because they are hazardous and they increase the levels of temperature in the ocean referred to thermal pollution because the temperature is very high. Both animals and plants cannot thrive in high temperatures hence they perish. A number of toxic spills after accidents include Atlantic spills, Deepwater Horizon is examples that showed the level of damage that can be caused by toxic spills to the ecosystems (Philipsen, Niels, and Rigamonti 2017). The oil spill that happened at the Mexican Gulf has resulted in problems among birds which had their wings covered with the oil, causing them to have a painful death.
Ocean mining
Ocean sites which drill in search for copper, gold zinc and silver lead to the creation of sulfide deposits which are three thousand meters down the ocean. On the other hand, ocean mining is an experimental field which targets to get minerals for later use in the technological production of hybrid cars (Jones, Daniel, Diva and Abbie 329). Ocean mining is capable of destroying sea habitats, eradicate unique species because it scrapes the ocean floor hence creating toxic chemicals, sediment clouds, and vibration into pristine environments. Most species that live in the ocean can be endemic. This means that they cannot be found any other place on the planet. Any form of physical disturbance from the mining sites has the potential of wiping out the whole species. Ocean mining also stirs up sediments consisting of silt on the ocean floor hence the creation of plumes of these suspended particles.
Overfishing.
Overfishing is when more fish has been caught than what can be replaced by the population through natural reproduction. Gathering a lot of fish as possible seems profitable, but the practice has serious consequences. The outcome affects life balance in the ocean, social and economic survival of the coastal people depending on fish as their means of life. For many years oceans and other water, bodies have served as the source of different fish species. However, due to increased fishing efforts in the current years, fish stocks have been pushed to the level of collapsing. Most world fisheries which are more than 30% percent have reached their biological limits, hence need strict fishing rules to regain fish. Commercial fish populations like Atlantic tuna have reduced to the level where survival of their species is threatened. Most fishermen know the importance of safeguarding populations, but illegal fishing still exists.
Effects of ocean pollution.
Endangered aquatic life.
A total of five turtle species that lived at the Mexican Gulf are now endangered. A research by National Geographic showed embryos of some fish which apparently had heart defects, whales which had high toxic concentration and 900 dolphins which had died. Most species are a source of food to humans. However, some have been overharvested like oysters and crabs, hence face a threat of extinction because of the constant fishing. Whales offer a good example of the impact of harvesting done by humans. In the 1800s whale oil used to be a major light source for Americans (Iduk, Umo, and Samson 85). The oil got extremely valuable that whales were hunted until they drastically depleted. Hence to date, most whale species have become endangered due to that over-harvesting. Six whale species in the coastal waters of Virginia are at risk of becoming extinct.
Disease infections
Marine life is the most vulnerable to disease infections than humans when it comes to ocean pollution because their entire life is spent in the ocean. Seafood contributes to the well-being of the economy. This is no longer the case because of the increased marine diseases. Marine diseases found in farmed abalone, oysters or shrimp, specifically Atlantic salmon amounts to billions of dollars yearly. Compared to that, it is a challenge to establish accurate disease effects on wild populations. Farmed fishes get disease infections from wild species, making it possible to export infectious agents. Most diseases that infect marine life take advantage when the organism is under certain temperatures and salinity (Middelboe, Mathias, and Corina 302). Coal-fueled plants contribute to ocean pollution because of the mercury content. The toxic metal was found in dolphins living at the Indian River. Exposure to these metals has been linked to the papillomavirus which was first discovered at the Indiana River. The viruses manifest itself as infections on the genitals of the dolphins.
Ecological imbalance
Ecological imbalances that are in the marine ecosystem is going to put the world at risk. This is a warning from marine explorer Jacques Cousteau who says that human survival depends on the maintenance of a clean ocean spreading worldwide. The human-induced ecological imbalance needs to be prevented by sensitizing the need for human beings. Main marine ecological disturbances are due to human impacts which can be seen in the increased marine mobility, emergence of infections, declined wildlife populations and increased toxic algal blooms. The public health is threatened along several coastal regions because of natural and anthropogenic aspects which influence disturbances. Accidental discharge of domestic waste into the ocean is a minor disturbance which can only disturb the ecosystem shortly hence the ecosystem can recover immediately. Major ones are like a continuous release of untreated sewage into the ocean which is catastrophic hence the consequences in the ecosystem are irreversible. Anthropogenic disturbances like habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation also threaten marine ecosystems. Natural disturbances include EL Nino events, cyclones, and volcanic activities.
Solutions to ocean pollution
Clean up the beaches and safe waste disposal
Collecting rubbish from the beaches to prevent them from getting into the ocean is called beach clean-up. Picking rubbish left behind by other people is an easy way of minimizing pollution at the beach. As stated, earlier majority of rubbish comes from land, hence picking rubbish on land is also effective because eventually there will be no trash finding its way to the ocean.
Image 1-3 beach clean-up.
Embracing new and efficient technologies
The seabin project has installed rubbish bins which can float on water at the marinas, harbors and other places which participate in clean-ups. Averagely a seabin can catch 3.3 pounds debris per day totaling to half a ton yearly. Seabin has established an education program in learning facilities to sensitize the issue of ocean littering as well as the available solutions. Recycling technologies have created a revolutionary technology which is able to convert plastic products into oils and virgin plastic referred to as Plaxx (Langston 109). This is inclusive of traditionally considered unrecyclable. This company managed to raise 3.7 million Euros which was more than their set target of 1.2 Euros. These funds are meant for adding the recycling capacity worldwide.
Controlled fishing
Fishing is an important industry in most developing nations, therefore conservation efforts have focused on setting up procedures to these countries in order to ensure sustainability. Lack of specific policies from the federal government because of the fact that the activity is tied to humans has also contributed to overfishing. World Wildlife Fund has come up to help countries to prepare sufficient management protocols. It has also created standards which can be implemented to aid fisheries to maintain fishing without causing harm to the environment. Another method used by conversationalists to regulate fishing is working with retailers by educating them on how to buy seafood from fisheries which are sustainable. Groups have come up targeting consumers to know more about the seafood they order. They have pamphlets which educate consumers on the types of endangered fish species caused by overfishing. When fishing is done correctly, fish farming can be a sustainable means of food provision to the world’s population. So far, the activity has been successful in protecting fish species prone to overfishing like bass.
Stern laws and measures.
It is difficult to clean up a huge area damaged by pollution once it has happened, hence the best solution is prevention. There can be several changes taking place in order to keep a factory in check. In order to encourage sustainable practices globally, there should be; Strict government regulations limiting the industries releasing their wastes into the ocean. Environmental Protection Agency has created certain laws that will reduce marine debris, protect beaches, prohibit ocean dumping and reduce ship pollution. According to NOAA renewable energy sources should also be implemented to reduce offshore drilling. Endangered Species Act demands that government agencies should analyze the effects of pesticides on marine life (Yim, Un and Jeffrey 3). EPA designates sites for ocean disposal. Managing ocean dumping sites includes regulating quantity, characteristics of the substance being disposed of, time to be disposed of and requirements to reduce possible impacts to marine life.EPA also monitors vessels transporting oil substances to the disposal sites to ensure that there will be no oil spills into the ocean.
Conclusion
Ocean pollution has negative effects on marine life. Most substances causing pollutions originate from land. These substances are transported into the ocean by humans.
Ocean pollution comprises a series of problems which cannot be easily addressed. However, some of these challenges can be addressed, because there is an increased value of science and technology to solve the issues of ocean pollution. It is important to devote resource that will help in research and development of pollution reduction strategies. Efforts can be more effective if actions are taken by all government levels are well coordinated and the communities to also participate in such government initiatives to reduce pollution.
Annotated Bibliography
Haward, Marcus. "Plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance." Nature communications
9.1 (2018): 667.
Haward and Marcus have written this article to highlight the problems caused by plastic pollution on the ocean. Additionally, they elaborate how plastics have made it difficult for federal agencies to govern the ocean. This journal will be relevant to show how plastics contribute greatly to ocean pollution.
Iduk, Umo, and Samson Nitonye. “Effects and Solutions of Marine Pollution from Ships in Nigerian Waterways.” International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research, vol. 6, no. 9, 2015, pp. 81-90.
Iduk and Samson investigate the effects of water pollution at large including oceans using Nigeria as a case study. I plan to use this journal article in analyzing the impacts of water pollution especially in the case of oceans.
Jones, Daniel OB, Diva J. Amon, and Abbie SA Chapman. "Mining deep-ocean mineral deposits: what are the ecological risks?" Elements: An International Magazine of Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Petrology 14.5 (2018): 325-330.
Jones, Daniel, Diva and Abbie have written a journal about ocean mining. The journal talks about the consequences of ocean mining to the marine habitats. It also elaborates the risks involved in ocean mining as well as their direct impact on marine life. It further reveals the ecological risks involved during the activity.
Langston, W. J. "Toxic effects of metals and the incidence of metal pollution in marine ecosystems." Heavy metals in the marine environment. CRC Press, 2017. 101-120.
Langston’s main goal when he wrote this article was to reveal the effects of heavy metals like mercury on marine life. The articles continue further to show several cases of marine life that have been affected by these metals which were released by industries into the ocean as wastes. The article has also highlighted other effects of pollutants on marine life. I will use the article to explain the effects of ocean pollution on marine life.
Middelboe, Mathias, and Corina PD Brussaard. "Marine Viruses: Key Players in Marine Ecosystems." (2017): 302.
This is a journal by Middelboe, Mathias and Corina explaining about marine viruses. The journal gives details about the main contributors to marine infections. It also explains what causes the infections to thrive on marine life. I will use this journal to explain marine infection in the oceans.
Philipsen, Niels, and Rigamonti Andrea. Marine Pollution. Study in the Framework of the EFFACE Research Project. Maastrich University, 2015.
The study conducted by Philipsen and Rigamonti explores the issue of marine pollution. They give vital statistics pertaining to ocean pollution across the globe. I will use this study to show that ocean pollution is a global problem that calls for immediate attention.
Rathnayake, Dulika. "“Oceanfills”: Yet another dumping ground." (2018).
This is an article by Rathnayake and Dulika that basically talks about how the ocean is filled with garbage. The article explains in details the causes, effects and solutions to ocean pollution. I will use the article to elaborate the causes, effects and solutions mentioned.
Shinde, Ruchira, and Sagar Gawande. “An Overview of Ocean Pollution.” International Journal of Science and Research, vol. 5, no. 3, 2016, pp. 337-341.
This is a journal article by Shinde and Sagar gives the causes of ocean pollution such as dumping of garbage in the seashore, oil spills, toxic chemicals, and radioactive materials. Further, Shinde and Sagar explore the effects of these chemicals on the ocean and measures that can be taken to solve the problem such as treating waste and improving the ship designs. I will use this article to back my argument especially on the causes of ocean pollution.
Walker, Tony R. "Drowning in debris: solutions for a global pervasive marine pollution problem." Marine pollution bulletin 126 (2018): 338.
This journal article has been written by Walker and Tony to provide solutions to global ocean pollution that is affecting the marine life. It shows how marine life are drowning because of the debris clinging on their bodies hence adding more weight on them. The journal is useful because I will use it to analyze the solutions to ocean pollution.
Yim, Un Hyuk, and Jeffrey Short. "Marine Environmental Emergencies in the North Pacific Ocean: Lessons Learned from Recent Oil Spills." Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology 73.1 (2017): 1-4.
Yim, Un and Jefferey have used the current situation of the Pacific Ocean to analyze how oil spillage has affected marine life. It gives lessons to take to avoid extinction of certain, marine species due to oil spillage. I will use the journal to highlight the effects of oil spillage on the ocean.
