...Oceanic Pollution and its Effects on Society “Around 8 million tons of plastic ends up in the oceans every year”,(Milman 1). Nowadays in our everyday society, plastic is used constantly from cups and plates, to bags and pencils. It is this same plastic that ends up in the world’s oceans due to various means of transportation, where it then harms the existing life and ecosystems present. Until something is done to combat this issue, the pollution will never cease to increase. Oceanic pollution harms the world’s oceans, it’s marine life, and ultimately ourselves due to the overwhelming influx of pollutants, and lack of action against it. The formal definition of marine pollution is as states, “Oceanic pollution also known as marine pollution is the spreading of harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial, and agricultural waste and chemical particles being released into the ocean”,(NOAA). Essentially there is no one cause to marine pollution, therefore there is also no one effect or solution to it either. Marine pollution is the accumulation of waste being emitted into the ocean both via natural, and unnatural means. A few of the most notable causes of marine pollution would include the following: sewage, industrial, land runoff, large scale oil spills, ocean mining, and littering. To go more into...
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...Plastic pollution in the ocean is continuing to increase, causing the death of marine animals and ruining islands that are habitat to many animals. Even uninhabited islands in the middle of the ocean are not immune to the issue even though they are located thousands of miles from any civilization. In particular Henderson Island has been severely impacted by plastic pollution, despite its tiny size and remoteness. This rural island is covered in over 38 million pieces of plastic debris (Parker). Plastic pollution is a current issue because despite the many organizations and people that are working to reduce the amount of plastic pollution, the amount of plastic in the ocean continues to increase and harm the most important parts of the ocean....
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...Pollution is a major issue that threatens marine ecosystems throughout the world, and one of the main sources of marine pollution is plastics. The problem of plastic pollution in oceans is a serious issue because of the negative impacts that it has on the marine ecosystems and the abundant living organisms found within these areas. The introduction of plastics into the natural environments of marine species often causes considerable damage to these creatures, as plastic debris is a known culprit of injuries and even the deaths of many marine animals. For instance, plastic bags are commonly mistaken by animals, both in marine ecosystems as well as on land, as a type of food “especially when the bags carry food residues, are brightly coloured...
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...Save Our Beaches! The Study Behind Coastal Pollution Plastic Pollution is a significant contributor to the non-point source pollution found in the Monterey Bay and around the world. While terms such as Marine Debris and Ocean Trash have been used to describe the garbage that enters the ocean, a growing number of scientists, researchers and marine-based organizations have adopted the term Plastic Pollution not only because 90% of floating ocean trash is plastic, but because the term pollution highlights that we are dealing with a pervasive substance that contaminates water, the cells of organisms, and knows no boundaries. (Plastic Pollution, n.d.) 80% of plastic pollution that enters the ocean originates from land. Common sources include: recreational beach users, people who drop litter on sidewalks and streets, plastics manufacturers and transporters, illegal dumping, and areas with inadequate trash receptacles. All land-based plastic pollution has the potential to become ocean pollution. Plastics easily blow into the ocean or washed down storm drains that flow directly to the Bay, and oceans around the world. (Marine Problems: Pollution, n.d.) Marine animals often mistake plastic pieces for food. For example, bird species such as pelicans or albatross will mistake pieces of plastic for small fish. Once the animal ingests the plastic, their body cannot digest it. The plastic item will remain in the animals’ stomach causing the animal to feel full. Thus the animal will eventually...
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...The variety of ocean creatures in an aquarium is supposed to represent the real variety of the ocean but at this rate, it may not stay that way for long. While the general idea is that the big threat to marine species is their natural predators, in reality a more silent and deadly killer threatens to wipe out thousands of marine animals: ocean pollution. Ocean pollution kills thousands of birds, fish, and sea mammals alike every year, by toxic particles released in the water and being strangled by plastic alike. How many species have been killed off by pollution, let alone ocean pollution, may never be known. To preserve all of the planet’s species, action must be taken. Ocean and beach pollution must be stopped to prevent the destruction of...
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...Ocean Pollution Throughout history ocean pollution has been a recurring problem that has only gotten worse. It harms the oceans natural resources as well as the marine life. Fortunately, there are measures we can take to decrease the amount of garbage that is put in the ocean. Ultimately, the government should establish a policy of sustainability to protect the ocean’s natural resources and marine life. One of the main impacts of ocean pollution is that it takes an enormous toll on marine life and marine ecosystems. Anthony Amos an animal Rehabilitation Keep director and research associate at the University of Texas states in one of his articles, “Plastic is also mistaken for food and is eaten at sea by birds, turtles, and even whales. This...
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...National Geographic Society. “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Society, National Geographic, 9 Oct. 2012, www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/. The National Geographic has been known of posting many articles and videos about the concern and awareness of the water pollution of the Pacific Ocean. The article that is chosen is about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, the National Geographic has many photo evidence of the harmful effects of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The article puts in perspective of how serious the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is by using quotes from captains that have sailed by the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and statistics of the mass size. The article will be supporting...
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... or even spitting gum on the floor, people litter every day without giving a single thought to what might be affected. For what feels like eternity, humans have rigorously affected the marine life in Earth’s oceans by spreading their various and vast amounts of pollution. Ocean pollution is the spreading of detrimental substances such as plastic, oil, chemical particles, and industrial and agricultural waste. Being even more specific, littering. When objects are blown by the wind over long distances and end up in the ocean, this is considered pollution from the atmosphere and is a huge source of ocean pollution. Most of the debris that is dumped, especially plastic debris, cannot decompose and remains in the oceans...
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...Man versus Nature: Technology Versus Environment: Money Versus Wild Life Bristol Bay Although the fishing industry has long been associated with the contribution of marine pollution little work has been done on the effects on the industry itself of marine debris and other pollution. The fishing industry is responsible for discarded nets, hooks, fishing poles, and many times sunken boats, among other gear. In many circumstances this is not the intended plan when going fishing to catch their paychecks. In fact the fishing industry pays a high price for these losses from the time they have to replace their nets to the pulling of old nets and trash out of their new nets on a regular basis. When questioned about the effects of marine debris on their fishing activities, Shetland fishermen responded that 92% had recurring problems with accumulated debris in nets, 69% had had their catch contaminated by debris and 92% had snagged their nets on debris on the seabed. Many also experienced fouled propellers and blocked intake pipes. On average, 1-2 hours per week were spent clearing debris from nets. Debris could cause a restricted catch and many boats avoided particular fishing areas altogether due to the high concentrations of debris. It has gotten to the point for many fishers that they can no longer fish certain areas known to be well stocked with money fish due to the time consuming issues with trash and fishing debris in those specific waters due to left behind gear. Ultimately...
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...Bio 324 12/01/12 Plastics in the ocean Imagine the massive breadth and spread of our great state of Texas. Now imagine every milli-inch of that piled high with trash: bottle caps, cigarettes, cigarette lighters, tampon applicators, plastic nets, discarded flip flops, Frisbees, soda bottles, milk jugs, diapers, six-pack rings, busted tennis rackets, empty pens, shampoo bottles, empty squeeze bottles of jam, you name it. Now take that image, double it, and plunk into the water. That's what is floating around the eastern corner of a 10-million-square-mile oval known as the North Pacific subtropical gyre. Nicknamed the "Eastern Garbage Patch," this buoyant stew of toxic pollution-most of which is plastic-is only one of five such garbage heaps caught in the swirling high-pressure currents characteristic of gyres. The others reside in the South Pacific, the North and South Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean. And each year, perhaps unwittingly, each one of us adds to plastic to the heap. Plastic makes it into our oceans in a variety of ways. About twenty percent of it comes from goods lost from boats: i.e. accidental loss of fishing tackle and other recreational gear, massive shipping containers carrying millions of plastic items washed overboard during severe storms; litter from pleasure boats, or illegal dumping of unwanted goods. Beachgoer’s debris is also a contributor. The other eighty percent is swept in from land. Just as Nonpoint Source Pollution from fertilizers,...
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...A Systems Analysis of Plastic Debris in the Pacific Ocean Course: Integrated Environmental Systems Instructor: Steven Arnold Fall Quarter University of Denver By: Cletus Achibonga November 7, 2012 Table of content Title 1 Abstract 4 Introduction 5 1.1 Scope 5 1.2 Background 5 Animal and plant deaths 8 2.1 Birds 8 2.2 Mammals and other animals 10 2.3 Plants and plant food 11 Environmental impacts 12 3.1 Physical impacts 13 3.2 Chemical impacts 14 3.3 Biological impacts 14 3.4 Human impacts 15 3.5 Economic impacts 16 Societal Responds 17 Conclusion and Recommendation 20 References: 21 List of figures Figure 1: A pack of plastics at the shores of Kamilo Beach, Island of Hawaii 8 Figure 2: Bird corpse with ingested plastic 10 Figure 3: Seal entangled in fishing nets and lines 11 Figure 4: DPSIR model analysis of the pacific gyre 18 Abstract The pacific patch is the most devastating problem of our generation yet there is little public knowledge about the nature and severity of the situation. There is also little to no awareness as to the way we humans either intentionally or unintentionally contribute to the worsening situation in our water bodies. This study used the DPSIR model in analyzing the problem of the pacific gyre from a systems perspective. It focused on the impacts of the pacific gyre on the environment, plants, animals as well as the ecosystem...
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...Marine Pollution The ocean is the most valued resource in human society. “The oceans provide humans with energy and mineral resources, food, and climate moderation, as well many other commodities and services.” (Desonie 87) Oceans, How We Use the Seas Chapters 8 through 10 of Oceans, How We Use the Seas; Dana Desonie informs the reader about the cause and effects of marine pollution, as well as what pollutes our oceans and how, and the types of pollutants that enter our oceans. Marine pollution is when unnatural substances enter the ocean. Dana explains the type of pollutants that enter our oceans such as plastics, man-made chemicals, heavy metals, oil, sediments, nutrients, and even radioactivity. Many pollutants infiltrate our oceans...
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...It is hard for some people to grasp the concept that plastic debris is actually very harmful in the ocean life. “In the ocean, plastic debris injures and kills fish, seabirds and marine mammals” (cleanwater.org). Plastic isn’t just the harmless material that people use everyday for various reasons. Plastic that is no longer of use to anyone is thrown out, thus, ending up in the ocean. However, it doesn’t just sit there and waste away. The plastic begins to take a journey in the water, and when the sea animals see, they end up eating it. The destructive consequences of plastic in the ocean are so extreme that a lot of sea animals suffer devastating fates in result to the pollution of plastic. “Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least...
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...Human Pollution of Waterways Jane D. Doe Western Governors University Human Pollution of Waterways As one walks along a warm, sandy beach collecting pretty seashells and enjoying the gentle crashing waves washing over their feet, they seldom consider where the water has been or what has been in the water. What one sees is a peaceful and magnificent ocean with mesmerizing waves that are touched by the blue sky for as far as the eye can see. If one were to look more closely at the sandy beach one might see more than just the seashells or occasional strands of sea weed. They might be shocked to discover plastic trash bags, soda bottles, or cigarette butts casually tossed away. If one were to test the water they would likely find the presence of pesticides, oil, or gas. It certainly isn’t the calm, beautiful image imagined when thinking of a beach vacation. Yet there is a growing presence of these pollutants in the Earth’s waterways that can’t be ignored. Many of the causes of these pollutants in Earth’s waterways are man made such as land, water, and air pollution. The most tangible causes of pollution in waterways are from pesticides and fertilizers, household cleaning products and human litter. In order to understand how the pesticide or fertilizer from your neighbor’s lawn, and household cleaning products from someone’s home, or that plastic shopping bag come to be in the waterways, you have to look at how interconnected our Earth is. Think back to a time...
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...Every year about eight million tons of plastic is dumped into our surrounding oceans, making that about 22,000 tons in one single day. Who decided that it is socially acceptable to dump waste into our delicate oceans; that do nothing but keep our Earth alive? Sustainable coastlines are a major role that play into preventing ocean pollution of plastics and other waste. The goal of sustainable coastlines are to inspire local communities to come together as a whole and help towards hands-on beach cleanups monthly. I was inspired to take on this topic because from a young age I have felt a close relationship with the sea, and I want nothing more for others to treat it with the most upwards respects as well. From this presentation, I hope to inspire others to protect our oceans and give our marine life a safe ecosystem; the same we want for our future generations....
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