Meghan Hodges
Marine pollution, also known as ocean pollution, is a pressing issue that poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of our planet. Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface and are crucial for the health of our ecosystem, including humans and land-dwelling animals. Marine pollution is primarily caused by human activities and consists of a combination of chemicals and trash. This includes industrial, agricultural, and residential waste, as well as plastic pollution, nutrient pollution, toxins, and noise pollution. The majority of this waste comes from land-based sources, with rivers being the main pathway for plastic pollution, and accumulates in five ocean gyres, forming garbage patches. The consequences of ocean pollution are far-reaching, impacting marine life, human health, and economic structures worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Types of pollutants | Plastic, noise, oil, carbon emissions, toxic metals, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial waste, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff, sewage, dirt, top soil, silt, nonpoint-source pollution, point-source pollution, microplastics, heavy metals, mercury, and more |
| Sources of pollutants | Human activities, septic tanks, vehicles, farms, livestock ranches, timber harvest areas, oil spills, chemical spills, factories, water treatment systems, construction sites, crop and forest lands, eroding stream banks, irrigation practices, abandoned mines, air pollution, fossil fuels, and more |
| Impact on marine life | Entangling and ingestion by marine animals, ingestion of microplastics by fish and other species, harm to invertebrates like jellyfish and anemones, harm to marine mammals like whales and dolphins, mass die-offs of fish and other marine life due to creation of "dead zones", impact on the food chain, threat to human health and well-being |
| Impact on the environment | Increased ocean acidification, change in pH of surface waters, degradation of ecosystems, adverse effects on beaches, shellfish-growing waters, and coastal economies |
| Efforts to address pollution | NOAA's Coastal Zone Management Program, research on the impact of microplastics and contaminants in seafood, estimation of the contribution of mercury pollution to global burden of disease |
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What You'll Learn
Plastic pollution, including microplastics
Plastic is the leading source of ocean pollution. Humans produce over 400 million metric tons of plastic annually, and a significant portion of this ends up in the ocean. Plastic waste in the ocean comes from a variety of sources, including rivers, runoff, atmospheric deposition, and direct discharges. Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution, but another major source of plastic in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is fishing gear.
Plastic pollution in the ocean has severe environmental, human health, and economic impacts. Plastic waste can harm marine life through ingestion or entanglement, with thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals, and other marine mammals killed each year as a result. It can also affect the reproduction of some species, such as seabirds. Plastic pollution can further lead to the accumulation of heavy metals and other contaminants in seafood, making it harmful for human consumption.
Microplastics, defined as plastic fragments between 1 μm and 5 mm in size, are a significant subset of plastic pollution in the ocean. They can come from larger plastic debris that degrades into smaller pieces, or they can be intentionally designed as microbeads for use in health and beauty products. These microbeads easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in the ocean, posing a threat to aquatic life.
While there has been some progress in addressing microplastic pollution, such as the U.S. ban on microbeads in 2015, it remains a critical environmental challenge. Various technologies have been designed to collect and reduce microplastic emissions, but more action is needed to tackle this global crisis.
To combat plastic pollution, it is essential to improve waste management practices, particularly in middle-income countries where plastic consumption is increasing and waste management systems may be inadequate. Additionally, efforts should be made to regulate plastics as hazardous pollutants and to reduce plastic consumption and production.
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Chemical contamination, or nutrient pollution
Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, with most of it coming from land sources that are washed or blown into the ocean. Chemical contamination, also known as nutrient pollution, is concerning for health, environmental, and economic reasons. This type of pollution occurs when human activities, such as the use of fertilizers on farms, lead to the runoff of chemicals into waterways that eventually flow into the ocean.
Nutrient pollution occurs when excessive nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, enter water bodies and act as fertilizers, causing an explosion of plant and
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) have become more abundant, extensive, and toxic. They are a result of increasing nutrient pollution, with the timing, amount, and proportions of nutrients being critical factors contributing to their proliferation. The disbalance in nutrients accelerates the toxicity of diatoms and cyanobacterial HABs. Climate change, along with environmental and abiotic conditions due to human activities, also fuels the growth and spread of algae. Overfishing affects animals that typically eat algae, allowing algal blooms to grow larger.
To address nutrient pollution, it is important to monitor nutrient levels in water bodies to set effective water quality standards and control nutrient pollution. Additionally, steps to reduce nutrient input should involve scientists, policymakers, and the public. Practical steps include restoring habitats such as mangroves and marshes, which can remove nutrients from water before they reach the sea, and implementing ecosystem management plans that consider both watershed areas on land and the seawater they drain into.
Furthermore, planting vegetation along waterways, supporting wetland restoration, and promoting sustainable gardening practices can help absorb excess nutrients and reduce runoff. In urban areas, installing green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable pavements, can further limit nutrient pollution from stormwater.
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Nonpoint source pollution, e.g. runoff from farms
Nonpoint source pollution is waste that enters waterways from multiple places at once. This makes it harder to identify and address than point-source pollution, which comes from a single source. Nonpoint source pollution can come from farms, among other sources.
Farming activities can affect water quality, both locally and across multi-state watersheds. Farms can adopt soil and water conservation practices to reduce the runoff of sediment, nutrients, bacteria, pesticides, and other pollutants.
Agricultural runoff can carry excess nitrogen and phosphorus into water bodies. These nutrients act as fertilizers, causing high levels of algae growth. This restricts sunlight and oxygen from entering the water, which are key ingredients needed to nurture aquatic plants. Without oxygen and sunlight, plants decay, further lowering the oxygen levels in the water and creating "dead zones" for marine life.
Excess sedimentation from erosion can overwhelm aquatic ecosystems, smother breeding areas, and degrade coastal and marine ecosystems, including coral reefs.
There are technologies to treat agricultural runoff, such as ecological ditches, which can reduce pollutants in the runoff.
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Point source pollution, e.g. oil spills
Point source pollution is pollution that comes from a single source, such as an oil or chemical spill. Oil spills are a major form of point source pollution.
Oil is a fossil fuel that we use to heat our homes, generate electricity, and power large sectors of our economy. When oil spills into the ocean, it can have devastating consequences. Oil spills can harm sea creatures, ruin beaches, and make seafood unsafe to eat.
One of the most well-known examples of an oil spill is the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform explosion in the Gulf of America in 2010, which resulted in approximately 134 million gallons of oil spilling into the ocean. Another significant oil spill occurred in Tampa in 1993, causing major impacts on recreational beaches and shoreline vegetation.
In addition to these large incidents, thousands of smaller oil spills occur each year, some spilling less than a barrel of oil. Oil spills can also occur from road or industrial accidents, with oil and chemicals entering creeks and drains. Oil spills from tankers are another frequent source, often associated with the practice of discharging oily bilge water during travel.
The initial impact of an oil spill can vary from minimal to the death of nearly everything in a particular biological community. Recovery times can range from less than a year to more than 30 years. Oil spills are a major threat to our ocean ecosystem.
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Atmospheric pollution, e.g. windblown debris
Atmospheric pollution, including windblown debris, is a significant contributor to ocean pollution. Air pollution carries iron, carbonic acid, nitrogen, silicon, sulfur, pesticides, dust particles, and other pollutants into the ocean. These pollutants can settle into waterways and oceans, impacting marine life and ecosystems.
One serious consequence of atmospheric pollution in the ocean is ocean acidification. This occurs when airborne carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed by seawater, causing chemical reactions that reduce seawater pH. The pace of ocean acidification has been accelerating, and this can have cascading effects on the marine food chain. For example, increased ocean acidification makes it more difficult for bivalves such as mussels, clams, and oysters to form shells, reducing their likelihood of survival and impacting the shellfish industry.
Windblown debris can include agricultural runoff, which contributes to nutrient pollution in the ocean. Excess nutrients, usually nitrogen and phosphorus, enter bodies of water and act as fertilizers. This stimulates excessive algae growth, which restricts sunlight and oxygen from reaching aquatic plants. As the plants decay, oxygen levels in the water decrease further, creating "dead zones" where marine life cannot survive.
In addition to windblown debris, atmospheric pollution from vessels is a significant source of marine pollution. Vessels contribute to pollution through the dumping of pollutants directly into the marine environment and the emission of exhaust gases into the atmosphere. MARPOL Annex VI limits the main air pollutants contained in ships' exhaust, including sulfur oxides and nitrous oxides.
Measures such as Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) aim to reduce the presence of CO2 in the atmosphere by capturing and storing it in secure subsurface reservoirs. International agreements such as the London Convention/London Protocol and the OSPAR Convention also regulate the injection of carbon dioxide into sub-seabed geologic formations to mitigate climate change.
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Frequently asked questions
Ocean pollution refers to the harmful waste released into the ocean by human activity. This includes plastic, toxic metals, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial waste, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceutical chemicals, agricultural runoff, sewage, and more.
Ocean pollution comes from a variety of sources. Some examples include runoff from farms, septic tanks, vehicles, factories, and timber harvest areas. Oil spills are also a well-known source of ocean pollution, but surprisingly, only 12% of the oil in our oceans comes from spills. The majority is carried out to sea via runoff from roads, drainpipes, and rivers.
Ocean pollution has a wide range of negative effects on marine life, ecosystems, and human health. It can lead to the death of marine animals through ingestion or entanglement, create "'dead zones'" due to algal blooms, and contaminate seafood with heavy metals and other toxins. Ocean pollution also contributes to ocean acidification, which impacts the shellfish industry and marine food chains.
Plastic is the leading source of ocean pollution. Each year, an estimated 8-14 million metric tons of plastic end up in the ocean, making up 80% of all marine debris. Plastic does not biodegrade and can persist in the environment for up to 1000 years, breaking down into microplastics that are ingested by marine life.
Ocean pollution is the largest environmental cause of disease in the world, responsible for an estimated 9 million premature deaths per year. It can contaminate seafood with heavy metals and toxins, leading to cognitive issues in babies whose mothers consumed contaminated fish during pregnancy. Additionally, the ingestion of microplastics by marine life can have unknown consequences for human health when we consume seafood.
