In the current years, the oceans have experienced very high stages of pollution.
Ocean pollution is an issue that is now not only difficult to describe however also extremely difficult to solve. Research conducted by Upstream, an organisation that addresses waste management practices, indicated intensive plastic production and disposal poses huge threats to marine life. The organization was based in 2003 by Dr. Bill Sheehan and Hellen Spiegelman, the pioneers of the Zero Waste Management in the United States and Canada. Upstream brought forth the concept of a circular economy the place products are designed with safe, sustainable materials, and produced with renewable energy.
Estimates indicate that each year 32 million tons of plastic find their way into the environment.
Most of the plastics are transported and deposited into the world’s oceans. While in the water bodies, the plastic materials are acted on by sunlight and water currents breaking into micro-plastics. In turn, these tiny particles attract toxic substances which later become part of the food chain and are taken in by plankton, fish, and whales. According to Upstream, improved waste management or recycling plastics is not likely to solve the problem. This is because most of the plastics and the environment have no value in today’s systems. The cost of collection and processing of the plastics exceeds the cost of sales.
Plastic pollution has a direct effect on the nature of ocean life.
It poses severe threats to aquatic flora and fauna. For instance, when fish consume these particles the result is death. Prolonged deaths can lead to the extinction of some marine plants and animals.
Question #3 Marine Ecosystem.
COMMON NAME: killer whale
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Cetacea
SUBORDER: Odontoceti
FAMILY: Delphinidae
GENUS SPECIES: Orcinus Orca
Whales regulate the flow of food chain by ensuring the stability of the marine ecosystems. Also, whales help in controlling the population of other marine species by ensuring they do not exceed sustainable numbers.
The rate at which non-biodegradable materials are released into the oceans and other water resources is alarming.
Notably, the oceans play a critical role in our lives. For instance, we obtain food from fish, crustaceans, and other organisms thriving in the ocean. Therefore, knowledge of the dynamics and challenges facing ocean life is essential in the current age to curb pollution.
Question #6
What measures have the governments of various countries put in place to control plastic pollution in the oceans? What is the effect of synthetic pollutants on aquatic plants in the ocean? I would like to know more about the relationship between whales and other marine animals. Also, I would like to explore the various methods that can be used to minimize plastic pollution in the ocean.
