Brian Barton
Ocean pollution is a significant environmental issue that poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of our planet. Oceans account for 70% of the Earth's surface and are essential for the health of our ecosystems, including humans and land-dwelling animals. Every year, billions of pounds of trash, chemicals, and other pollutants enter our oceans, with plastic waste being a particularly challenging pollutant. Marine debris is increasing worldwide, and plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species, including sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. Plastic waste can take hundreds of years to decompose, and marine life that ingests plastic can absorb pollutants into their bodies, which then enter the human food chain. Other sources of ocean pollution include oil spills, sewage, fertilizer runoff, and atmospheric pollution. Solving ocean pollution requires a combination of prevention and cleanup efforts, with many countries enacting regulations to limit or ban disposable plastic items.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Percentage of Earth's surface that oceans account for | 70% |
| Main types of ocean pollution | Chemical contamination, trash |
| Main sources of ocean pollution | Human activities, nonpoint source pollution, point source pollution |
| Examples of nonpoint source pollution | Septic tanks, vehicles, farms, livestock ranches, timber harvest areas |
| Examples of point source pollution | Oil spills, chemical spills, faulty factory discharge, damaged water treatment systems |
| Percentage of ocean pollution originating on land | 80% |
| Percentage of marine debris that is plastic | 80% |
| Common types of marine debris | Plastic items, cigarette butts, bottle caps, food wrappers, fishing gear |
| Impact of ocean pollution on marine life | Entanglement, ingestion, suffocation, cancer, behavioral changes, reproductive issues |
| Impact of ocean pollution on humans | Negative health outcomes, economic losses |
| Efforts to address ocean pollution | Regulations banning disposable plastic items, educational resources, research |
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Plastic pollution
The sources of plastic pollution are varied. Eighty per cent of plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, including litter, trash, and debris from construction, ports, marinas, and landfills. The remaining 20% comes from ocean-based sources, such as discharges from ships and discarded fishing gear. Single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, are a significant contributor to plastic pollution, as they can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
The consequences of plastic pollution are far-reaching. Marine plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including sea turtles, seabirds, and marine mammals. Plastic debris injures and kills marine life, and can cause entanglement, ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, and drowning. For example, ghost nets, a type of discarded fishing net, can entangle and trap marine life, leading to starvation and suffocation. Plastic pollution also affects humans, as seafood can be contaminated by microplastics and other pollutants.
Research has shown that marine life that ingests plastics coated with pollutants can absorb these pollutants into their bodies, thereby polluting the human food chain. A 2008 study found that 35% of fish caught during a Pacific Gyre voyage had ingested plastic pieces. Additionally, plastic pollution can transport invasive marine species through ocean currents.
Addressing plastic pollution requires a multifaceted approach. Solutions include reducing the use of single-use plastics, improving manufacturing and packaging practices, and implementing measures to trap plastic particles before they enter the ocean. Prevention is both cost-effective and environmentally beneficial.
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Oil spills
The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 established that those responsible for oil spills can be held accountable for the cleanup and restoration of the affected areas. Over the last 30 years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has helped recover over $9 billion from parties responsible for oil spills to fund restoration projects for the ocean and the Great Lakes.
The largest oil spill in recent history was the 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, which released approximately 134 million gallons of oil into the ocean.
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Carbon emissions
The ocean absorbs approximately 30% of all carbon dioxide emissions and captures 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions. As carbon emissions rise, the ocean's temperature increases, causing warming and acidification of seawater. This has far-reaching consequences for marine life and ecosystems. For example, ocean acidification can disrupt the shellfish industry, with potential losses of over $400 million annually in the United States by 2100.
Another consequence of carbon emissions is the potential release of greenhouse gases from the ocean. Caps of frozen CO2 or methane, known as hydrates, contain potent greenhouse gases and prevent their escape into the ocean and atmosphere. However, as the ocean warms, the temperature of seawater around these hydrate caps rises, threatening to dissolve them. This could result in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide or methane, further exacerbating climate change.
Furthermore, carbon emissions contribute to ocean pollution through nonpoint source pollution. This type of pollution occurs when runoff from various sources, such as vehicles, farms, and industrial facilities, carries pollutants into the ocean. Atmospheric pollution, caused by littering and the disposal of single-use plastics, is also a significant issue. These plastics can take hundreds of years to biodegrade and have severe impacts on marine life, including ingestion and entanglement.
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Chemical contamination
Marine pollution, or ocean pollution, is a significant environmental issue that poses a serious threat to the health and well-being of our planet. Oceans account for 70% of the surface of the Earth and play a crucial role in the health of our ecosystem, including humans and land-dwelling animals.
Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution, also called eutrophic pollution, has a global impact on oceans, particularly in coastal regions near the estuaries of major rivers. Agriculture is a primary source of this type of pollution, through the runoff of excess nutrients from animal manure and chemical fertilizers. On average, around 20% of nitrogen fertilizer is lost through surface runoff or leaching into groundwater, and up to 60% can vaporize into the atmosphere, eventually making its way into the ocean. There has been a tenfold increase in global fertilizer use since the mid-20th century, and nitrogen discharges from rivers into the sea rose by 43% between 1970 and 2000, with agriculture being the main contributor.
The excessive growth of algal blooms can lead to their die-off, which severely depletes the dissolved oxygen in the water. This creates "dead zones" where oxygen levels are so low that fish and other organisms struggle to survive. One of the world's largest dead zones occurs every summer in the Gulf of Mexico due to nutrient pollution from human activities in the Mississippi River watershed.
In addition to fertilizers, other sources of chemical contamination in the ocean include crude oil and other petroleum products, antifoulants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. These toxic chemicals become concentrated in the marine food chain and can have detrimental effects on marine life and human health. For example, pollutants such as methylmercury and PCBs have been linked to brain damage, reduced IQ, and increased risks for autism and learning disorders in infants exposed in utero through maternal consumption of contaminated seafood.
Furthermore, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can attach to the surface of plastic debris in the ocean, causing the plastics to act as a vehicle for transporting these pollutants through ocean currents. As a result, marine life that ingests plastics coated with POPs can absorb these toxic chemicals into their bodies. This has been observed in various species, including fish, plankton, and whales. When small organisms that have consumed microplastics are eaten by larger animals, the chemicals are passed up the food chain, eventually reaching humans.
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Noise pollution
Ocean noise pollution is a form of environmental pollution caused by human activities that generate unnatural and excessive sound underwater. Since the beginning of the industrial age, human activities such as global shipping, oil and gas exploration, construction activity, and naval exercises have contributed to the increasing levels of ocean noise.
Marine mammals and other aquatic animals have evolved to rely on underwater sound as a primary means of communication and environmental assessment. Sound plays an essential role in critical activities such as breeding, foraging, maintaining social structure, and avoiding predators. For example, cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) send and receive complex sounds to communicate with each other, navigate, find food, and more.
The effects of noise pollution on one species can also indirectly impact others. For instance, if a whale strands on a beach due to sudden loud noise, seafloor-dwelling animals that rely on the whale's body as a food source are deprived of their nutrition.
To mitigate the impacts of ocean noise pollution, policies are needed to reduce propeller noise from ships and mitigate the sounds of sonar equipment, seismic air guns, pile driving, and construction. Developing quieter technologies can also help reduce noise pollution and improve the ocean soundscape, potentially enabling the recovery of affected marine life.
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Frequently asked questions
Ocean pollution, also called marine pollution, is a mixture of both chemical contamination and trash. It is caused by human activities along coastlines and far inland.
Ocean pollution comes from two main sources: land-based sources and ocean-based sources. Land-based sources include litter, trash, and debris from construction, ports, marinas, farms, commercial and industrial facilities, septic tanks, vehicles, livestock ranches, timber harvest areas, and trash blown out of garbage containers, trucks, and landfills. Ocean-based sources include overboard discharges from ships, discarded fishing gear, and oil spills.
Ocean pollution has far-reaching consequences for both marine life and humans. Marine animals can become entangled in or strangled by plastic debris, mistake plastic for food, or suffer from the toxic effects of oil spills. Pollutants can accumulate in the food chain, with fish ingesting plastic fragments coated with chemicals. Ocean pollution is also associated with negative health outcomes in humans, including the ingestion of contaminated seafood and exposure to harmful algal blooms.
