Helena Joyce
Marine pollution is a pressing issue that has grown exponentially over the years. The ocean is inundated with a wide variety of pollutants, ranging from plastic debris to oil spills and carbon emissions. The majority of this pollution comes from human activities, with single-use plastics, industrial waste, and runoff being significant contributors. The impact of this pollution is devastating, harming marine life, damaging ecosystems, and even posing risks to human health. With an estimated 11 to 23 million tons of plastic entering the oceans annually and the problem worsening each year, the health of our oceans is in peril.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marine debris | Plastic, derelict fishing gear, abandoned vessels |
| Plastic pollution | 15-51 trillion pieces of plastic in the ocean, 10 million metric tons of plastic waste enter the seas each year |
| Plastic waste composition | Single-use packaging, consumer goods, clothing |
| Plastic waste origin | 80% of marine litter comes from land-based sources, 36% of global plastic waste in the ocean comes from the Philippines, followed by India (12.92%), Malaysia (7.46%), China (7.22%), and Indonesia (5.75%) |
| Plastic waste impact | Marine animals die from ingesting plastic or becoming entangled in fishing gear, half of sea turtles worldwide have ingested plastic, plastic ingestion reduces the storage volume of the stomach in seabirds, causing starvation, plastic pollution affects the reproduction of seabirds, plastic is ingested by marine mammals, plastic pollution interferes with navigation safety and poses a threat to human health |
| Other types of ocean pollution | Noise, oil, carbon emissions, chemical discharges from factories, raw sewage overflow, stormwater and agricultural runoff, mercury, fertilizer |
| Impact of other types of ocean pollution | Ocean acidification, harmful algal blooms, aquatic dead zones, alteration of underwater acoustic landscape, human disease |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic pollution
Every year, between 1 and 2 million tons of plastic enter the oceans, with an estimated 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic and microplastics currently in the ocean. This plastic comes from thousands of sources worldwide, with most of it originating from land runoff and ending up in the sea via rivers. The improper disposal of plastic waste, such as littering, is a major contributor to plastic pollution in the ocean. Plastic's durability and resistance to degradation, often taking hundreds of years, means that plastic pollution is a long-term issue.
The presence of plastic in the ocean has severe consequences for marine life and ecosystems. Plastic debris causes the ingestion, suffocation, and entanglement of species, with an estimated 100,000 marine mammals and 1 million seabirds killed annually due to plastic pollution. Sea turtles, for example, can mistake plastic for food, leading to choking, internal injuries, and starvation. Plastic pollution also contributes to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, with plastic particles entering the food chain as microplastics.
The economic costs of plastic in the ocean are estimated to be between $6-19 billion USD annually, impacting tourism, fisheries, and aquaculture. Furthermore, the production and incineration of plastic contribute to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide, respectively.
Addressing plastic pollution requires a global effort, and international cooperation to tackle this crisis has been gaining momentum. Initiatives such as The Ocean Cleanup work to clean up plastic pollution, and organizations like the Center for Biological Diversity are advocating for the regulation of plastics as a hazardous pollutant.
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Mercury and chemical pollution
Mercury is a naturally occurring element, but human activities have led to widespread global mercury pollution. Mercury is emitted in a combination of different chemical forms, each of which behaves differently once emitted. While one-third of mercury emissions are from natural sources such as volcanic eruptions and undersea vents, the remaining two-thirds are a result of industrial pollution. The largest source of anthropogenic mercury emissions is small-scale gold mining, which is particularly hazardous and has significant health effects on vulnerable populations. Other large sources of emissions include coal-fired power plants, non-ferrous metals production, and cement production.
Once emitted, mercury can circulate in the air for up to a year before being deposited on land or in water. The atmosphere is the primary transport pathway for mercury emissions, while land and ocean processes play a role in redistributing mercury to terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Mercury can undergo chemical transformations once it is deposited, and its conversion to methylmercury is of greatest concern to fish, wildlife, and humans. Methylmercury is a highly toxic form of mercury that has the ability to bioaccumulate and bioconcentrate, leading to its build-up within the bodies of organisms over time. It is produced mainly in freshwater, terrestrial, and coastal environments, and its presence in the ocean is a significant concern as the ocean acts as a "storage closet" for mercury.
The effects of mercury pollution on human and animal health are severe. Most human exposure to mercury occurs through the consumption of contaminated fish and shellfish, with children and women of childbearing age being particularly vulnerable. In the United States, it is estimated that more than 75,000 newborns each year may be at increased risk due to methylmercury exposure in the womb. Animal health is also threatened by mercury pollution, as seen in the severe mercury poisoning incident in Minamata Bay, where many animals exhibited strange behaviors and high mortality rates after consuming contaminated seafood or absorbing mercury from seawater.
To address mercury pollution, international actions have been proposed, such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which aims to phase out certain mercury-containing products and address mercury emissions. Additionally, public awareness and proper disposal of mercury-containing items are crucial in reducing mercury pollution. Efforts to clean up existing mercury pollution in the ocean are also being explored, including the use of nanotechnology and synthetic corals to absorb heavy metal toxins.
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Noise pollution
Ocean noise pollution, caused by human activities, has grown significantly over the past few centuries. This form of pollution involves human-generated sounds that interfere with and obscure the natural sounds in the ocean, negatively impacting marine life. Marine species have evolved to depend on sound for survival, and noise pollution disrupts their key life functions, including communication, navigation, foraging, breeding, and maintaining social structures.
One of the major contributors to ocean noise pollution is cargo vessels and shipping activities. The constant drone of ship propellers can travel hundreds of kilometres underwater, masking the natural soundtrack of the sea and interfering with biological and ecological processes of marine life. For example, loud shipping noises have caused whales to abandon their critical feeding grounds, depriving them of essential nutrients and threatening their survival.
Another significant source of ocean noise pollution is sonar equipment and seismic blasts used in naval exercises and energy exploration. These intense noise sources can disorient marine animals, disrupt their migration routes, and interfere with their ability to navigate, forage, and detect predators. In some cases, military sonar operations have been directly linked to mass whale strandings and even deaths.
Other human activities that contribute to ocean noise pollution include industrial fishing, coastal construction, oil drilling, seabed mining, warfare, and the installation of offshore wind turbines. These activities introduce unnatural and excessive sound into the ocean environment, impacting marine life across different ecosystems.
The effects of ocean noise pollution are not limited to marine mammals but also extend to fish, squid, crustaceans, and sea turtles. For example, seismic surveys used in oil and gas exploration can severely damage the internal organs of giant squid and kill zooplankton within a certain radius. Noise pollution can also trigger stress responses in fish, disturb nesting habits, affect coordination and navigation, and cause hearing damage in sea turtles.
Recognising the detrimental impacts of ocean noise pollution, efforts are being made to mitigate this issue. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has established guidelines encouraging quieter ship designs and modifications to reduce underwater noise pollution. Additionally, technologies such as bubble curtains are being used during offshore construction to absorb and scatter sound waves, reducing noise transmission. While these steps are promising, there is still a need for coordinated efforts from governments, industries, and conservationists to address this pressing issue effectively.
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Oil spills
Oceanic oil spills became a major environmental problem in the 1960s due to intensified petroleum exploration and production on continental shelves and the use of supertankers for transporting oil. In 1969, a blowout on an offshore platform off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, spilled over four million gallons of oil.
Responses to oil spills aim to contain and remove the oil so that economic activity can resume and the natural recovery processes of the marine environment can take over. Floating booms can be placed around the source of the spill to reduce its spread, and skimming can be used to physically separate the oil from the water. Sorbents such as straw, volcanic ash, and polyester-derived plastic shavings can absorb the oil, and chemical surfactants and solvents can be used to accelerate its natural dispersion. Restoration projects are also important to help the ocean recover, such as building marshland or protecting bird nesting habitats.
While large oil spills from wrecked or damaged supertankers have become rare due to stricter regulations, thousands of minor and several major oil spills related to well discharges and tanker operations are still reported each year. The total quantity of oil released annually into the world's oceans exceeds one million metric tons.
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Nonpoint source pollution
Ocean pollution is a pressing issue that poses serious threats to human health and well-being, marine life, and ecosystems. Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) is a significant contributor to ocean pollution and is defined as any source of water pollution that does not meet the legal definition of "point source" in the Clean Water Act. NPS pollution arises from various diffuse sources and is primarily caused by runoff from rainfall or snowmelt, which carries pollutants into water bodies.
NPS pollution is a major concern as it affects both ecosystems and the economy. It can lead to mass die-offs of fish, impacting the commercial fishing industry and resulting in financial losses. Coastal communities, which depend on tourism and recreational activities, may also suffer economic and social deterioration due to the unsightliness and health hazards caused by NPS pollution.
The sources of NPS pollution are diverse and numerous. One significant contributor is human activities, such as littering, poor waste management practices, and agricultural runoff. For example, during a thunderstorm, rainwater can wash away oil leaks from car engines, tyre particles, and trash, eventually flowing into rivers and oceans. Another example is the use of chemical fertilisers, which can contribute to the growth of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in previously unaffected regions.
The impact of NPS pollution on water quality can be detrimental. Pollutants carried by runoff can contaminate drinking water supplies, harm wildlife, and affect recreational activities. While the concentration of pollutants from a single source may be low, the cumulative effect from multiple sources can result in a significant amount of pollution.
Addressing NPS pollution is challenging due to its diffuse nature, making it difficult to pinpoint a single source. However, there are efforts to mitigate its impact. The Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act in the United States have helped reduce both point-source and nonpoint-source pollution. Additionally, organisations like the Center for Biological Diversity are advocating for the regulation of plastics as pollutants and taking legal action to control runoff from plastic-producing companies.
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Frequently asked questions
Plastic pollution in the ocean has grown exponentially since the early 20th century when plastic was invented. In 1950, plastic production was 2 million tonnes per year, while in 2019, it had increased to 460 million metric tons. This has led to an estimated 15-51 trillion pieces of plastic currently in the world's oceans, with some estimates reaching 170 trillion pieces.
The sources of plastic pollution in the ocean are varied. The majority of plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, including littering, poor waste management, storm water discharge, and natural disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis. However, a significant portion also comes from ocean-based sources, such as abandoned fishing gear and vessels.
Plastic pollution has a devastating impact on marine life. Marine animals can become entangled in plastic debris, leading to injury and death. Additionally, they may mistake plastic for food, leading to intestinal injuries and starvation. It is estimated that over 1 million marine animals die each year due to plastic pollution, including sea turtles, birds, and whales.
There are several initiatives to combat plastic pollution in the ocean, including grassroots beach clean-ups, international agreements, and innovations in recycling and waste management. California has introduced a law holding plastic producers and vendors responsible for waste, and environmental groups are pushing for plastic to be regulated as a hazardous pollutant. Mechanical solutions, like the Seabin, have been developed to collect and recycle ocean plastics, but these have had limited success and can harm marine animals.
