Brian Barton
Marine pollution is a pressing issue that poses a threat to marine wildlife, ecosystems, and the industries and livelihoods that depend on them. It refers to the introduction of harmful substances, such as chemicals and trash, into the ocean and coastal areas. These pollutants come from various sources, including land-based activities like agricultural runoff, urban wastewater, and industrial waste discharges, as well as atmospheric deposition and ocean-based sources like shipping and offshore drilling. The impact of marine pollution is widespread, with plastic debris, toxic chemicals, and noise pollution affecting the health and survival of marine organisms, including whales, dolphins, fish, and seabirds. As these pollutants accumulate in the food chain, they also pose risks to human health and economic structures worldwide. Addressing marine pollution requires local, national, and international efforts to reduce, prevent, and clean up the various forms of pollution that endanger our oceans.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Types of pollutants | Chemicals, trash, fossil fuels, noise, oil, carbon emissions, microplastics, heavy metals, nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides, sewage, urban and industrial waste runoff, plastic bags, water bottles, straws, bottle caps, fishing gear, ghost nets, and more |
| Sources of pollution | Land-based sources (including inland areas) contribute 80% of marine litter; nonpoint sources include septic tanks, cars, trucks, boats, farms, ranches, forest areas, soil erosion, agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, industrial waste discharges, plastic waste, and more |
| Impact on marine life and environment | Damage to the health of marine organisms, ecosystems, and economic structures worldwide; alteration of the physical, chemical, and biological state of the ocean and coastal areas; entanglement and ingestion of plastic waste by marine animals; accumulation of toxic chemicals in marine food chains, potentially impacting human health; creation of hypoxic conditions by algal blooms, leading to species death and harmful effects on humans |
| Efforts and solutions | International agreements and regulations, such as the Save Our Seas Act of 2018 and bans on disposable plastic items; research and monitoring by organizations like NOAA; development of control plans for coastal states; prevention and cleanup measures |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic pollution
Microplastics, measuring less than five millimetres in diameter, have been detected in various marine species, including plankton, whales, and seabirds. As smaller organisms that consume microplastics are eaten by larger animals, toxic chemicals migrate up the food chain, eventually reaching humans. This has led to more than one-third of shellfish-growing waters in the United States being adversely affected by coastal pollution.
Large plastic items, such as bottles, bags, fishing gear, and bottle caps, are also significant contributors to marine pollution. These items can take hundreds of years to decompose, entangle marine animals, and are often mistaken for food, causing internal injuries and death. Plastic debris has been found in the habitats of critically endangered species, including Hawaiian monk seals and Steller sea lions, endangering their already vulnerable populations.
The sources of plastic pollution are diverse, with 98% stemming from land-based activities and the remaining 2% from sea-based sources. Rivers, sewage, and the atmosphere are common pathways for plastic pollutants to reach the oceans. The top ten emitters of oceanic plastic pollution are China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Bangladesh, contributing to 90% of all plastic pollution.
Addressing plastic pollution requires concerted efforts from individuals, communities, and governments worldwide. While some countries have implemented regulations to limit or ban disposable plastic items, a shift in manufacturing and packaging practices, improved waste management, and reduced plastic usage, especially single-use plastics, are crucial to combating this global crisis.
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Noise pollution
Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, the health of all organisms, and economic structures worldwide.
One of the many types of marine pollution is noise pollution, which has increased dramatically over the last few decades. As most marine species are highly dependent on sound for their survival, this type of pollution is extremely damaging to marine wildlife. Not only does it interfere with the key life functions of these animals, but in some cases, it even causes death.
To reduce noise pollution in the marine environment, policies must be implemented to reduce propeller noise from ships and mitigate the sounds of sonar equipment, seismic air guns, pile driving, and construction. Quieter technologies must also be developed. These actions can improve the ocean soundscape and potentially enable the recovery of some marine life.
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Chemical pollution
Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. Chemical pollution occurs when fluids, often toxic, are released into the water. These chemicals can enter the ocean through rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition, and direct discharges.
Industry
Factories and industries sometimes allow waste products to flow into streams and rivers, which eventually flow into the sea. For example, a factory in Minimata Bay, Japan, discharged waste containing low concentrations of methyl mercury into the sea. As this pollutant passed through food chains, it became more concentrated in the tissues of marine organisms, leading to human casualties.
Agriculture
The use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on farms can result in chemical runoff into waterways that ultimately flow into the oceans. This increases the concentration of chemicals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon in coastal areas, promoting the growth of algal blooms. These algal blooms can be toxic to wildlife and harmful to humans, causing health issues such as respiratory diseases and rapid death upon ingestion.
Household Sources
Cleaning, washing, and polishing products used in households often contain chemicals that end up in natural water sources when washed down drains or sinks. These chemicals, such as sodium hypochlorite, petroleum distillates, phenol, cresol, ammonia, and formaldehyde, can be harmful to wildlife and marine environments.
Medicine
Chemicals from medicines taken by humans and animals can enter the ocean through sewage treatment plants and rivers. While these chemicals are tolerable in small doses for humans, they can build up in aquatic environments and cause fertility problems in fish.
The accumulation of these chemical pollutants in the ocean has multiple negative impacts on marine ecosystems, human health, and economic structures worldwide. It disrupts marine food chains, endangers marine life, contaminates seafood consumed by humans, and exacerbates the effects of global climate change.
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Oil spills
Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources. This pollution results in damage to the environment, the health of organisms, and economic structures worldwide.
Some of the notable oil spills in history include the Persian Gulf Oil Spill, which was the largest known spill, involving the release of over 888 million litres of oil near Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The Ixtoc I blowout in 1979 was the second-largest spill, with over 518 million litres of oil draining into the Gulf of Mexico. The Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989 and the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010 also had significant impacts and contributed to our understanding of oil toxicity and its effects on wildlife.
While stringent shipping and environmental regulations have made large oil spills from supertankers rare, thousands of minor and several major spills related to well discharges and tanker operations are still reported each year. Oil spills from factories releasing untreated waste disposal, offshore oil production operations, and leaks from tankers and ships contribute significantly to ocean pollution.
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Nonpoint source pollution
Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.
Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is any source of pollution that does not meet the point-source definition under the Clean Water Act. Point sources are confined conveyances, such as pipes, ditches, tunnels, wells, vessels, or other floating crafts, from which pollutants are discharged. NPS pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, drainage, or hydrologic modification. Unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, it comes from many diffuse sources.
NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries natural and human-made pollutants, depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and groundwater. These pollutants have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife.
Agricultural and urban land use are the two major categories of NPS pollution. Urbanization increases the variety and amount of pollutants carried into bodies of water. Forestry activities, road construction, and hydromodification can all impact water quality. Coastal waterways may also become contaminated with pollutants from marinas, such as boat cleaning and fueling operations.
Agricultural practices, such as the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, can contaminate waterways and oceans through runoff. This type of chemical contamination, or nutrient pollution, is concerning for health, environmental, and economic reasons. The increased concentration of chemicals in coastal areas promotes the growth of algal blooms, which can be toxic to wildlife and harmful to humans.
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Frequently asked questions
Sea pollution, also known as marine pollution, is defined by the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as "the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances or energy into the marine environment … which results or is likely to result in such deleterious effects as harm to living resources and marine life." It can be in the form of chemicals, trash, noise, fossil fuels, offshore drilling, oil, carbon emissions, and more.
There are three main sources of pollution entering the ocean: direct discharge of waste, runoff into the waters due to rain, and pollutants released from the atmosphere. Some specific sources include littering, storm winds, poor waste management, agricultural runoff, wind-blown debris, dust, air pollution, urban sewerage, industrial waste discharges, and plastic waste.
Sea pollution has numerous detrimental effects on the environment, organisms, and economic structures worldwide. It can harm marine life, such as fish becoming tangled in debris or animals ingesting plastic. It can also lead to toxic algal blooms, which can be harmful to both marine life and humans. Additionally, microplastics and toxic chemicals can accumulate in seafood, making it unsafe for human consumption.
Addressing sea pollution requires local, national, and international efforts. Prevention and cleanup are crucial, with many countries enacting regulations to limit or ban disposable plastic items. Education and awareness are also important, as individuals can take action to reduce their plastic use and properly dispose of waste to prevent further pollution. Additionally, organizations like NOAA work with government agencies to monitor, assess, and limit pollution sources.
