Kiera Jefferson
Marine life is suffering from the devastating effects of ocean pollution, which is caused primarily by human activities. The two main types of ocean pollution are chemical contamination and trash, with the former being caused by the runoff of chemicals like fertilizer from farms and other land-based sources into waterways that flow into the ocean. Trash in the ocean, mostly plastic, comes from littering, storm winds, and poor waste management, with 80% of marine debris originating from land. The consequences of ocean pollution are dire, with over 100,000 marine mammals dying each year from plastic pollution alone. Marine animals suffer entanglement, suffocation, and ingestion of plastic, which can lead to starvation and the transfer of toxic chemicals up the food chain, affecting even humans who consume seafood.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Marine life entanglement | Marine animals get entangled in discarded fishing nets, ropes, and other plastic debris. |
| Marine life ingestion of plastic | Marine animals ingest plastic debris, which can lead to starvation, suffocation, and biomagnification of toxins in their bodies. |
| Oxygen depletion | Ocean pollution, especially excess nitrogen and phosphorus, causes oxygen depletion, creating "dead zones" where marine life struggles to survive. |
| Toxin bioaccumulation | Small organisms absorb toxins, which are then passed up the food chain, eventually reaching humans through seafood consumption. |
| Algal blooms | Increased nitrogen and phosphorus levels promote harmful algal blooms, which can be toxic to marine life and humans. |
| Economic impact | Marine pollution hurts local fishing and tourism industries and requires costly cleanup efforts. |
| Oil spills | Oil spills coat marine animals' gills and feathers, leading to suffocation and an inability to fly or feed their young. |
| Cancer and reproductive issues | Marine animals exposed to crude oil can develop cancer and reproductive issues. |
| Behavioral changes | Marine animals exposed to pollutants may exhibit behavioral changes. |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic ingestion
Marine life is facing a grave threat from plastic pollution in oceans. Plastic pollution in the ocean is a growing concern, with an estimated 100,000 marine mammals dying each year due to plastic ingestion. Marine animals mistake plastic debris floating on the ocean surface for food. Seabirds that feed on the ocean surface are especially prone to ingesting plastic, which they then feed to their chicks, resulting in detrimental effects on their growth and survival. A study found that approximately 98% of the sampled chicks contained plastic, and the amount of ingested plastic was increasing over time.
Plastic debris in the ocean is not limited to the ocean surface but also accumulates in ocean gyres, forming large "patches" of plastics and microplastics. These patches, such as the Pacific Garbage Patch, consist of floating and submerged plastics and microplastics that are transported by ocean currents. Marine life, including fish, can ingest these plastics, leading to the accumulation of pollutants in their bodies. Research by Algalita in 2008 revealed that fish were ingesting plastic fragments, contributing to the pollution of the human food chain.
Turtles are particularly vulnerable to plastic ingestion as they mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, their staple food. Additionally, they may consume fishing nets, believing them to be seaweed. When turtles eat plastic, it creates a false sense of fullness, leading to starvation. Studies have found traces of microplastics in the guts of sea turtles, including all seven species from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean waters.
The impact of plastic ingestion is not limited to marine animals but extends to humans as well. As plastics break down into smaller particles, they are ingested by small organisms, which are then consumed by larger predators, eventually reaching humans through seafood consumption. This transfer of toxins through the food chain can have detrimental effects on human health, potentially leading to long-term health conditions, cancer, and birth defects.
To address the issue of plastic ingestion in marine life, it is crucial to focus on prevention and source reduction. This includes minimizing plastic leakage into the environment, reducing the toxicity of plastics, and promoting the reuse, repurposing, and recycling of plastics. Additionally, individuals can play a role by opting for reusable alternatives to single-use plastic items, such as bottles, utensils, and straws.
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Entanglement in plastic
Marine animals have been getting entangled in plastic debris for decades. This is a result of the billions of pounds of plastic that can be found in the swirling convergences that make up about 40% of the world's ocean surfaces. The Pacific Garbage Patch is one such example, with plastics and microplastics floating on and below the surface of swirling ocean currents between California and Hawaii in an area of about 1.6 million square kilometres (617,763 square miles).
The sources of plastic pollution are varied, with 80% coming from trash and debris in urban runoff, i.e., land-based sources, and the remaining 20% coming from ocean-based sources such as overboard discharges from ships and discarded fishing gear. Food containers and packaging are the largest components of municipal solid waste, and, together with plastic bags, they represent the largest component of marine debris.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is devastating. Studies have found that approximately 98% of seabird chicks sampled contained plastic, with the quantity ingested increasing over time. Marine mammals, such as whales, are also affected, with large amounts of plastic debris found in their habitats, including critical habitats like pup nurseries. Endangered wildlife, such as the Hawaiian monk seal and the Steller sea lion, have suffered injuries and mortality due to entanglement in plastic, with packing bands being the most common entangling material.
The problem of plastic pollution is not limited to the ocean's surface. Some plastics do not float and are lost deep in the ocean, impacting marine life at various depths. The durability of plastic means that every bit of plastic ever made still exists, and at current rates, plastic is expected to outweigh all the fish in the sea by 2050. This has led to urgent calls for action to address the global plastic pollution crisis. While some countries have enacted regulations to limit or ban disposable plastic items, the long-term solution requires a shift in society's approach to plastic use, which will be a challenging process.
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Oxygen depletion
Ocean deoxygenation is the overall decline in the oxygen content of oceanic and coastal waters. Deoxygenation occurs when oxygen consumption is greater than oxygen replenishment through photosynthesis, ventilation, and mixing. Oxygen enters the ocean through surface mixing where air meets the water, and subsequent vertical mixing into the ocean interior, as well as through photosynthesis by microscopic phytoplankton or macroalgae.
Oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) occur naturally in midwater areas of the ocean, generally from 100-1,000 meters in depth, and can also occur in partially enclosed areas such as the Black and Baltic Seas. Ocean deoxygenation is causing these midwater areas to expand. Areas with excess nutrient input to the ocean (eutrophication) also increase deoxygenation. The resulting algal blooms are subject to decay by microbes that consume oxygen, causing hypoxia (oxygen shortage) and generating coastal dead zones, such as in the Gulf of Mexico.
The oxygen content of the ocean has declined by around 2% since the middle of the 20th century, while the volume of ocean waters completely depleted of oxygen has quadrupled since the 1960s. Oceans are projected to lose about 3-4% of their oxygen by the year 2100. This decline in oxygen content poses a threat to marine life, as well as to humans who depend on marine life for nutrition or livelihood.
As the ocean warms, its waters hold less oxygen and become more buoyant, resulting in reduced mixing of oxygen-rich water near the surface with the ocean depths, which naturally contain less oxygen. Warmer water also raises oxygen demand from living organisms, resulting in less oxygen being available for marine life. This increase in oxygen demand is exacerbated by nutrient pollution, as fertiliser, sewage, animal and aquaculture waste cause the excessive growth of algae, which in turn deplete oxygen as they decompose.
The effects of ocean deoxygenation on marine life are varied and significant. Deoxygenation can reduce the quality and quantity of suitable habitats, reduce growth rates, change visual function, interfere with reproduction, and increase disease susceptibility. It can also alter the composition, diversity, abundance, and distribution of marine microbes and animals, with low-oxygen-tolerant species (e.g. microbes, jellyfish, and some squid) favoured at the expense of low-oxygen-sensitive ones (many marine species, including most fish).
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Chemical contamination
Marine pollution is a pressing issue, with billions of pounds of trash and other pollutants entering the ocean every year. One of the main types of pollution is chemical contamination, which can have detrimental effects on marine life.
Another source of chemical contamination is point source pollution, which comes from a single source such as an oil or chemical spill. These events occur less frequently but can have significant impacts. For example, the persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are released during oil spills can have long-lasting effects on the environment. Even chemicals that have been banned for decades, like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), can still be found in high concentrations in deep-sea creatures. These chemicals accumulate in the fatty tissues of marine organisms and become more concentrated as they move up the food chain, affecting apex predators such as orcas and great white sharks.
Microplastics also contribute to chemical contamination in the ocean. Floating plastics in the ocean have been found to accumulate pollutants and transport them through ocean currents. These pollutants can be ingested by marine life, leading to toxic contamination. Microplastics, which are less than 5mm in diameter, have been detected in various marine species, including plankton and whales. When small organisms that consume microplastics are eaten by larger animals, the toxic chemicals become part of their tissues, migrating up the food chain and eventually reaching humans.
The accumulation of chemical pollutants in the ocean has severe consequences for marine life. These pollutants can act as endocrine disruptors and teratogens, impacting the reproductive abilities of marine species and reducing offspring survival rates. Personal care products, such as oxybenzone in sunscreens, have been found to negatively affect coral health and reproduction. Additionally, the presence of chemicals in the ocean can lead to bioaccumulation, resulting in higher concentrations of toxins in the fatty tissues of marine organisms. This biomagnification effect poses a significant threat to marine apex predators and can also impact human health as contaminated seafood enters the food chain.
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Algal blooms
A harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs when toxin-producing algae grow excessively. These toxins can be stimulated by environmental factors such as light, temperature, salinity, pH, and nutrient levels. The toxins released by HABs can seriously harm people, animals, fish, and other parts of the ecosystem. They can cause illnesses and even contribute to the development of liver cancer. HABs can also cause thick, green muck that impacts water clarity, recreation, businesses, and property values.
The growth of algae during an algal bloom consumes oxygen and blocks sunlight from reaching underwater plants. When the algae eventually die, they further deplete the oxygen levels in the water, creating hypoxic or "dead" zones where aquatic life cannot survive due to insufficient oxygen. This loss of suitable habitat puts pressure on populations and interferes with the migratory behavior of shrimp, lobsters, and other species, leading to a decline in biological diversity.
Additionally, algal blooms can disrupt aquatic food webs. The cyanobacteria associated with algal blooms are unpalatable and of low nutritional value for grazers. This disruption can lead to starvation and population declines in both lower and higher trophic level species, including fish, birds, and mammals. Biotoxins from HABs are transferred up the food chain as toxic algal cells are consumed by zooplankton, fish, and shellfish, which are then eaten by other animals and humans.
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Frequently asked questions
Ocean pollution has a variety of effects on marine wildlife. Marine animals often ingest plastic, mistaking it for food, or become entangled in discarded plastic bags and fishing nets. They can also suffer from the toxic effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) or "red tides", which are caused by an excess of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water.
Animals that are particularly vulnerable to plastic pollution include dolphins, fish, sharks, turtles, seabirds and crabs.
Plastic pollution can lead to the death of marine animals through ingestion, entanglement, suffocation, starvation, and drowning. It is estimated that marine plastics contribute to the death of more than 100,000 marine mammals every year.
An excess of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in seawater can lead to oxygen depletion, creating "dead zones" where marine life cannot survive.
Biomagnification occurs when chemicals build up in the fatty tissues of animals that have consumed contaminated species. This results in a higher concentration of toxins in animals higher up the food chain, such as orcas, which can experience negative health effects and pass on these toxins to their young.
