Reducing Marine Pollution: Strategies For A Cleaner Ocean

Marine pollution is a pressing issue that poses a serious threat to the health of our planet and its wildlife. The ocean has long been viewed as a sink for pollution, with human activities being the primary source of pollution in the ocean. As global population, wealth and resource consumption continue to grow, the amount of pollution produced also increases. This has led to detrimental impacts on marine ecosystems, human health, and industries such as coastal tourism and fisheries.

To address this global challenge, it is essential to adopt sustainable practices and reduce pollution at its source. This includes improving wastewater and stormwater management, adopting eco-friendly and sustainable practices, reducing plastic production and waste, and implementing effective policies and regulations. Individual actions, such as recycling, reducing single-use plastic, and supporting environmental charities, are also crucial in tackling this issue. By taking collective action and making necessary changes, we can work towards a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for our oceans and the communities that depend on them.

Reduce plastic production and waste

Reducing plastic production and waste is a critical step in mitigating marine pollution. Here are some detailed strategies and actions to address this issue:

Public Awareness and Behaviour Change:

• Public education and awareness campaigns are essential to promote a reduction in plastic consumption and proper waste disposal. Campaigns can highlight the environmental impact of plastic pollution and encourage individuals to make more sustainable choices.
• Encourage the adoption of reusable items, such as water bottles, shopping bags, keep cups, and travel cutlery. This will help reduce the demand for single-use plastics.
• Promote proper waste disposal practices to prevent plastic litter from reaching waterways and oceans. This includes disposing of trash in secure receptacles and, if possible, taking trash home when outdoors.
• Support and participate in beach clean-up initiatives, such as Adopt-a-Beach programs and certifications like Blue Flag and Project Aware.

Policy and Regulation:

• Implement and enforce regulations to ban or restrict the use of certain plastics, such as single-use plastic bags and straws. For example, introducing charges for plastic bags has successfully reduced their use in the UK.
• Extend producer responsibility laws to hold manufacturers accountable for the entire life cycle of their plastic products, including proper disposal and recycling.
• Provide incentives for waste segregation and recycling, such as container deposit schemes where individuals are paid for returning used containers.
• Support and enforce legislation that promotes sustainable practices, such as the National Plastics Plan, and hold industries accountable for their plastic waste.

Waste Management and Infrastructure:

• Invest in and improve wastewater management infrastructure, especially in areas lacking controlled waste disposal facilities. This will help reduce the amount of plastic and other pollutants entering the ocean.
• Enhance stormwater management by implementing stormwater and storm drain filtration systems and river mouth trash collection methods. This prevents plastic litter and chemicals from flowing into rivers and, eventually, the ocean.
• Establish and optimize waste collection and processing systems, particularly in coastal communities, to ensure proper disposal and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in the ocean.
• Promote recycling and the use of recycled materials. Only a small percentage of plastic is currently recycled, while most accumulate in landfills or the natural environment.

Alternatives and Innovation:

• Support the development and use of alternative materials that are more environmentally friendly and biodegradable. For example, banning hard-to-manage substances like expanded polystyrene and limiting the use of chemicals of concern.
• Encourage the adoption of circular economy principles, where resources are used efficiently, and products are designed for reuse, repair, and recycling.
• Foster innovation in the creation of new materials that maintain the desirable performance characteristics of plastics without the negative environmental impacts.

Improve wastewater systems

Improving wastewater systems is a crucial step in reducing marine pollution. Here are some detailed actions and strategies to achieve this:

Develop Sustainable Wastewater Infrastructure

Currently, an estimated 3 billion people worldwide lack access to controlled waste disposal facilities, leading to untreated wastewater being discharged into oceans and water bodies. This untreated wastewater contains various pollutants, including plastics, chemicals, and pathogens, which pose significant risks to both human and environmental health. Therefore, it is essential to develop and implement sustainable wastewater infrastructure in these regions to ensure proper treatment and disposal of wastewater.

Enhance Wastewater Treatment Processes

Wastewater treatment plants play a vital role in removing pollutants from wastewater before it is released into the environment. However, in many cases, these treatment processes need to be improved and optimized to effectively remove all contaminants. This includes upgrading treatment technologies, ensuring proper maintenance, and addressing any issues that may lead to the bypass of untreated or partially treated wastewater into natural water bodies.

Promote Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Solutions

In addition to centralized wastewater treatment plants, promoting decentralized treatment solutions, such as onsite treatment systems or nature-based solutions, can be beneficial. These systems are particularly useful in rural or remote areas where connecting to centralized sewer systems may be challenging or impractical. Examples include septic tanks, constructed wetlands, and natural treatment systems that use natural processes to treat wastewater.

Implement Better Stormwater Management

Stormwater runoff is a significant source of pollution, as it carries various contaminants, such as litter, chemicals, and microplastics, directly into water bodies. To address this issue, implementing stormwater management strategies, such as stormwater filtration systems, storm drain filtration, and river mouth trash collection, can help capture and treat stormwater before it reaches the ocean.

Reduce Nutrient Pollution

Nutrient pollution, particularly from agricultural runoff, is a significant contributor to marine pollution. Excess nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, can lead to harmful algal blooms, which deplete oxygen levels in water, creating "dead zones" where marine life cannot survive. To address this issue, implementing best management practices in agriculture, such as precision fertilizer application and adopting more sustainable farming practices, can help reduce nutrient runoff into water bodies.

Foster Public Awareness and Education

Educating communities about the impacts of wastewater pollution on marine environments is crucial. Raising awareness about proper waste disposal, the hazards of littering, and the importance of responsible chemical use can empower individuals to make more sustainable choices. Additionally, promoting public participation in wastewater management initiatives and providing information about proper maintenance of onsite wastewater systems can further enhance community engagement and collective action.

Reduce chemical pollution

Reducing chemical pollution in the ocean is a crucial step towards protecting our marine ecosystems and safeguarding human health. Here are some strategies to reduce chemical pollution and foster a more sustainable marine environment:

Improve Wastewater Management

Addressing the issue of wastewater is essential, as untreated wastewater contains various pollutants, including plastics, chemicals, and pathogens. Developing and implementing sustainable wastewater infrastructure for communities lacking proper waste disposal facilities is vital. Additionally, improving stormwater management by installing filtration systems and trash collection at river mouths can prevent macroplastics, microplastics, and chemicals from reaching the ocean.

Adopt Green Chemistry Practices

Transitioning to green chemistry practices and promoting the development of new materials that are biodegradable and less harmful to marine life is crucial. Banning or limiting the use of hard-to-manage substances, such as expanded polystyrene and specific chemicals of concern, is an important step. Encouraging manufacturers to innovate and create sustainable alternatives that maintain the desirable performance characteristics of plastics without the negative environmental impacts can help reduce chemical pollution.

Reduce Chemical Fertilizer Use

Excess chemical fertilizers used in agriculture eventually make their way into the oceans, contributing to chemical pollution. Adopting organic farming practices, using organic fertilizers, and reducing fertilizer application rates can help minimize the amount of chemicals entering water bodies.

Improve Regulatory Framework

Regulators play a crucial role in combating chemical pollution. Adopting the precautionary principle, also known as the "better safe than sorry" approach, is essential to mitigate potential catastrophic chemical damage. Regulators should prioritize public health and environmental protection by implementing strict regulations on the use and disposal of toxic chemicals. This includes banning or restricting the use of certain chemicals, as well as holding manufacturers accountable for producing safer products.

Promote Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Choices

Individuals can make a significant difference by choosing eco-friendly and sustainable options in their daily lives. This includes using reusable bags, water bottles, and containers, as well as opting for natural and non-toxic health and beauty products. Additionally, consumers can support brands committed to reducing their environmental impact and choose sustainable seafood options that promote responsible fishing practices.

Manage oil spills

Oil spills are a major contributor to ocean pollution, and they can have devastating consequences for both the environment and humans. Oil spills happen when a pipeline breaks, a tanker sinks or runs aground, or when a drilling operation goes wrong. They can also occur during the refuelling of ships. While most oil spills are minor, serious incidents can have consequences that last for decades.

To prepare for future oil spills, governments and the oil industry must have preparedness plans and conduct regular spill response training exercises. Oil spill response can be tiered, with small spills handled at a local level, larger spills handled nationally, and major spills requiring an international response.

When an oil spill occurs, the first step is to contain and skim the oil using booms and skimmers. Booms are floating physical barriers that stop the oil from spreading, while skimmers are modified boats that skim the oil off the top of the water. If the oil reaches the shoreline, manual clean-up campaigns are typically deployed, and wildlife is deterred from the area using floating dummies and balloons. However, no solution can completely remove the oil, and even in the best-case scenario, only 40% of the oil can be cleaned up by mechanical means.

Oil spills can have significant impacts on ocean and animal life. Oil destroys the insulating ability of fur on mammals and affects the water-repelling qualities of bird feathers, leading to hypothermia. Dolphins and whales can inhale oil, which impacts their immune system and reproduction. Oil can also cause enlarged livers, fin erosion, and reduced reproductive capabilities in fish and shellfish, and it may make them unsafe for human consumption.

Restoring an area affected by an oil spill is crucial for recovery. This involves conducting ecological, biological, and chemical studies to understand the damage caused by the spill and then taking steps to accelerate recovery, such as reintroducing affected species, controlling erosion, and changing management practices in impacted areas.

Oil spills also have financial implications, as clean-up costs can run into billions of dollars, and long-term impacts on tourism and fishing can occur.

Improve stormwater management

Improving stormwater management is a key strategy in reducing marine pollution. Stormwater is one of the primary extrinsic impacts of urbanisation on coastal ecosystems, and refers to the runoff of water from rain events in urbanised areas. This water is often routed directly into nearby streams and rivers, bypassing wastewater management systems and natural filtration processes. As a result, urban stormwater contains a complex mixture of chemicals, including heavy metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals, which can have lethal and sublethal impacts on coastal species.

Stormwater management interventions should be tailored to the specific objectives of management, and the life histories of the species being targeted. For example, stormwater interventions for coho salmon, which are particularly vulnerable to toxic stormwater runoff, should focus on locations where coho spawn and rear, such as small tributary creeks. In contrast, stormwater management for Chinook salmon, which are impacted by stormwater primarily during their passage through estuaries, should focus on reducing the cumulative loading of toxic compounds in the watershed.

There are a range of specific interventions that can be implemented to improve stormwater management and reduce pollution:

• Stormwater and storm drain filtration and river mouth trash collection: This can prevent wastes such as macroplastics, microplastics, and chemicals on roadways from flowing into rivers and eventually, the ocean.
• Regulating the use of nutrients and pesticides: This can ensure that these pollutants do not enter the ocean through stormwater.
• Implementing green infrastructure: This includes the use of permeable surfaces, such as porous asphalt and interlocking pavers, which allow stormwater to infiltrate through porous surfaces into the soil and groundwater. Green roofs, rain gardens, and constructed wetlands can also help to filter and treat stormwater.
• Sand filtration: Sand filtration of stormwater can reduce total suspended solids by up to 80%.
• Street sweeping: Street sweeping can effectively remove pollutants from stormwater, reducing event mean concentrations of total suspended solids by up to 78%.
• Green stormwater infrastructure: This involves mimicking natural processes by encouraging stormwater to infiltrate into the ground and slowing down flows to filter out pollutants. Constructed wetlands, for example, can remove more than 70% of metal pollution in stormwater.

Frequently asked questions