Sarah Miyashita
English II PAP
Huston 8th
May 9th, 2013
The Effects of Ocean Pollution on Animals The planet that we live on is made up of a vast majority of water, consisting of five major oceans of the world: The Pacific, The Atlantic, The Indian Ocean, The Southern Ocean, and also the Arctic, making up approximately 71% of the earth’s surface. The largest amount of oil entered into the ocean due to human activity is 363 million gallons, from industrial waste and automobiles. The pollution and littering of the ocean has become a major problem in these times affecting the natural habitat of many animal species. The government and citizens of the country need to engage in actions that will reduce or hopefully banish the amount of contamination affecting all ocean ecosystems. Ocean pollution is a misfortune that could be, without difficulty, preventable if people simply took the time to dispose of waste and trash appropriately.
Once an oil spill occurs along a coastline, it will affect the wildlife population living around it for many years to come and leave a lasting impact. Many animals meet their end whenever the slick oil trickles down their fur, feathers, or scales, all while decreasing their surface area so they are no longer sheathed from the cold water ("Ocean Planet"). The animals might also consume the oil or waste, thus becoming ill and eventually unable to produce offspring properly, later affecting their population even more.
Since the 1970s, many laws and decrees have been set in place to be of service to the protection of the ocean. However, not everyone abides by these laws, as a common citizen should do. There are still many major pollutants harming these marine life habitats such as oil, as previously mentioned, toxic materials, and debris.
Marine debris is one of the ocean pollutants, caused by humans whom are not aware that littering