Helena Joyce
The health of the seas is integral to all life on Earth, yet ocean pollution is a worsening global issue. Oceans are vulnerable to pollution from land-based sources, such as plastic waste, chemical pollutants, oil spills, and agricultural and industrial waste. These pollutants can persist in the ocean for centuries, causing severe ecological damage and detrimental health effects for marine life and humans. Climate change further exacerbates the problem, with rising sea levels threatening coastal areas and extreme weather events increasing beach erosion and pollution. Understanding the complex interactions between these factors is crucial for developing effective strategies to address and mitigate the impacts of marine pollution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Oil spills | Oil spills are a major source of pollution, with shipping being the main contributor. |
| Industrial discharges | Industrial activities, such as mining and drilling, release pollutants into the sea, including lubricants and chemicals. |
| Agricultural pollution | Agricultural activities contribute to coastal pollution through the use of fertilizers, pesticides, and manure, which can be washed into the ocean. |
| Plastic waste | Plastics are a significant source of ocean pollution, with about eight million metric tons ending up in the oceans annually. |
| Chemical pollutants | Persistent chemical pollutants, such as phthalates and bisphenol A, can enter the sea from land-based sources and have harmful effects on human and marine health. |
| Climate change | Rising sea levels and extreme weather events can exacerbate beach erosion and increase the amount of pollution that reaches the beaches. |
| Noise pollution | Noise from ships and other human activities can disrupt the balance of life for marine animals that rely on echolocation, such as dolphins and whales. |
| Land-based sources | Pollution from rivers, runoff, and direct discharges to the sea can result in high concentrations of contaminants in certain areas of the ocean. |
| Human activities | Human activities, such as the use of motor oil, antifreeze, and improper waste disposal, contribute to coastal pollution. |
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What You'll Learn
Oil spills and chemical pollution
Oil spills directly harm marine birds and mammals, coating their feathers and fur and causing lethal consequences. They also contaminate the water and sediment, affecting the health of fish and other aquatic organisms. Oil spills can have economic repercussions, damaging local economies that depend on fishing, tourism, and navigation. The cleanup process after an oil spill is challenging, and even with advanced techniques, it is difficult to remove 100% of the spilled oil.
Chemical pollution in the oceans comes from various sources, including agricultural and industrial activities. Chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) originate from sources like flaring or engines, both on land and at sea. These chemicals persist in the environment and can have toxic effects on marine life, including transfer to humans through the consumption of contaminated seafood.
The release of chemicals and oil into coastal waterways can kill wildlife, destroy habitats, and contaminate food sources. It can also affect the availability of seafood, posing risks to human health. Moreover, chemical pollution can lead to excess nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, causing algal blooms that deplete oxygen levels and create "dead zones" where marine life cannot survive.
NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) plays a crucial role in responding to oil and chemical spills. They provide scientific expertise to predict the movement of spills, assess their impacts, identify at-risk resources, and recommend cleanup methods. The office's Emergency Response Division is often first on the scene, offering critical support and guidance.
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Plastic waste and microplastics
Plastics in the ocean break up into smaller particles, and those smaller than five millimeters in length are called microplastics. These microplastics can come from larger plastic debris that degrades over time or from microbeads, tiny pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic used in health and beauty products. Microbeads easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in oceans, lakes, and waterways, where aquatic life and birds may mistake them for food. A study found plastic fragments in the stomachs of six species of seabirds, with ingestion rates depending on factors such as body size and weight.
The presence of microplastics in the marine environment is an emerging field of study, and not enough is known about their impacts. However, it is known that microplastics infiltrate marine snowfall, which is a primary pathway connecting the ocean's surface and depths. Marine snow, composed of motes that aggregate into dense, flocculent flakes, has long transported the ocean's carbon to the seafloor. But now, it is increasingly carrying microplastics like polyamide, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate fibers and fragments.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program is leading efforts to research microplastics. They have developed standardized field methods for collecting microplastic samples from sediment, sand, and surface water, which will enable global comparisons of microplastics released into the environment. This is a crucial step in understanding the distribution, impacts, and fate of microplastics in our oceans. While the U.S. banned microbeads in 2015, microplastics remain a significant issue, and individuals can help by reducing their plastic use and disposal.
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Noise pollution from ships
Shipping noise disrupts the balance of life for marine animals that rely on sound for essential daily activities such as communication, finding food, reproduction, and navigation. For example, dolphins and whales use echolocation, which can be disrupted by ship noise. Marine life may leave their preferred habitats or change critical behaviours due to noise pollution, and it has also been linked to elevated stress levels in marine mammals, making them less resilient to other environmental challenges.
A study published in the journal Environmental Pollution mapped the global distribution of underwater noise emissions from ships in 2019. The findings revealed that very few ocean areas remain untouched by shipping noise, and the problem is expected to worsen with the continued growth of the global shipping fleet. The total carrying capacity of the global fleet nearly quadrupled between 1996 and 2020, and industry analysts predict further expansion.
Addressing noise pollution from ships is crucial to mitigating its adverse impacts on marine life. Some solutions include design modifications to propellers and hulls, the use of devices to smooth water flow, and engine placement adjustments. The International Maritime Organization has recognised this issue and released guidelines to reduce underwater noise from commercial shipping. Additionally, organisations like NRDC advocate for new regulations to minimise underwater noise and achieve quieter and carbon-free ships.
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is also actively working to reduce underwater noise pollution from ships, enforcing relevant EU legislation and conducting studies to consolidate information on the issue.
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Climate change and sea level rise
Climate change is causing global mean sea levels to rise in two primary ways. Firstly, glaciers and ice sheets worldwide are melting and adding water to the ocean. Secondly, the volume of the ocean is expanding as the water warms. A third, smaller contributor to sea-level rise is the decline in the amount of liquid water on land, such as in aquifers, lakes, reservoirs, and rivers. This shift is largely due to human depletion of groundwater.
Since 1880, the global mean sea level has risen by about 8-9 inches (21-24 centimeters). In 2023, the global mean sea level was 101.4 millimeters (3.99 inches) above 1993 levels, making it the highest annual average in the satellite record (1993-present). The rate of sea-level rise is also increasing. From 2006-2015, the global mean water level in the ocean rose by 0.14 inches (3.6 millimeters) per year, 2.5 times the average rate of the twentieth century.
The consequences of rising sea levels are already being felt around the world. In the United States, almost 30% of the population lives in coastal areas, where rising sea levels increase the risk of flooding, shoreline erosion, and more hazardous storms. Eight of the world's ten largest cities are near a coast, and rising sea levels threaten the infrastructure necessary for local jobs and regional industries. Higher background water levels mean that deadly storm surges push further inland than they once did.
The effects of rising sea levels are also being felt acutely in low-lying areas and small islands, where land areas are at risk of being decreased due to inundation and coastal erosion. In the worst-case scenario, a large proportion of the population in these areas may be forced to migrate to other countries.
Scientists project that global mean sea levels will rise almost 1 foot (0.28 meters) above 2000 levels by 2050 and above 3 feet (1 meter) by 2100. However, if significant action is not taken on climate change, sea levels could rise as much as 6.6 feet (2 meters) by the end of the century.
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Land-based sources of pollution
The United Nations estimates that around 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based sources. This includes pesticides, chemical waste, cleaning agents, petroleum products, mining waste, garbage, sewage, and plastics. Even pharmaceuticals ingested by humans but not fully processed by the human body have been detected in fish.
One of the biggest sources of land-based pollution is "runoff" pollution. For example, nitrogen-based fertilizers used in agricultural operations can migrate to rivers, estuaries, and the sea, promoting harmful algal blooms that deplete oxygen and create dead zones in which marine life cannot exist.
Another significant contributor to land-based marine pollution is plastic waste. Floating plastic waste, bags, packaging foam, and other solid waste materials are often consumed by marine mammals and birds, sometimes with fatal consequences. About eight million metric tons of plastic end up in the oceans annually, according to EcoWatch, while other estimates suggest this figure could be as high as 12.7 million metric tons.
Industrial discharges also play a role in land-based marine pollution. This includes operational discharges from oil platforms, such as production water and drilling cuttings, which account for 75% of the oil entering the sea as a result of normal operations. Oil spills and the release of chemicals from shipping activities further exacerbate the problem.
Land-based sources of marine pollution are within national jurisdictions, and addressing them on a global scale is challenging due to considerations of state sovereignty and economic development. However, regional agreements, such as the Regional Seas Programmes, have shown success in combating land-based marine pollution by implementing region-specific strategies and fostering international cooperation.
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Frequently asked questions
Sea pollution refers to the contamination of marine ecosystems by various pollutants, including plastics, garbage, heavy metals, chemicals, and oil spills. These pollutants can have detrimental effects on marine life and ecosystems, ultimately impacting human health and well-being.
Sea pollution comes from a variety of sources, both land-based and marine. Land-based sources include atmospheric transport, river deposition, runoff, and direct discharges from industrial and agricultural activities. Marine sources include shipping, oil drilling, and accidental spills.
Sea pollution can have devastating effects on marine life and ecosystems. Pollutants can contaminate mussels and other shellfish, disrupt endocrine signaling, reduce fertility, damage the nervous system, and increase the risk of cancer. Oil spills can directly affect birds and mammals, causing eye and skin irritation and lung and liver problems. Pollution also contributes to the creation of dead zones, where high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus from algal blooms deplete oxygen levels, making it uninhabitable for marine life.
Climate change exacerbates sea pollution through rising sea levels, more frequent extreme weather events, and the increased melting of snow and ice. Higher sea levels can lead to the inundation or erosion of beaches, wetlands, and estuarine habitats, destroying vital habitats for marine animals, birds, and other species. Extreme weather events can carry more pollution to beaches and coastal areas through stormwater runoff and wastewater released from damaged infrastructure.
