Helena Joyce
Ocean pollution is a critical global issue that poses risks to both marine life and human health. The oceans, which cover over 70% of the Earth's surface, are under constant threat from a range of pollutants, including plastic waste, toxic metals, chemicals, pesticides, sewage, and agricultural runoff. Plastic pollution is a significant concern, with an estimated 171 trillion plastic particles polluting the world's oceans, posing dangers to marine life and breaking down into microplastics that are difficult to clean up. Other forms of ocean pollution include carbon emissions, noise pollution, oil spills, and the impact of human activity, such as offshore drilling and shipping. The long-term effects of ocean pollution are disastrous, and while some solutions exist, such as improved waste management and the reduction of single-use plastics, addressing ocean pollution requires a collective effort from governments, industries, and individuals alike.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic pollution | 171 trillion plastic particles in the ocean, weighing roughly 2.3 million tons |
| 100 million kilograms of plastic float in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch | |
| 9% of plastic is recycled | |
| 22% of plastic waste worldwide is not collected, improperly disposed of, or becomes litter | |
| Plastic waste includes items such as shopping bags, beverage bottles, fishing gear, bottle caps, food wrappers, straws, and utensils | |
| Plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose | |
| Plastic can harm marine life through ingestion and entanglement | |
| Noise pollution | Generated by shipping and military activity |
| Can cause cellular damage to jellyfish, anemones, and other invertebrates | |
| Can alter the underwater acoustic landscape, harming marine species | |
| Chemical pollution | Includes carbon emissions, mercury, pesticides, industrial chemicals, petroleum wastes, agricultural runoff, nitrogen, and other toxins |
| Absorption of carbon emissions leads to ocean acidification, threatening bivalves such as mussels, clams, and oysters | |
| Agricultural nutrients such as nitrogen can cause the growth of algae, leading to dead zones and mass die-offs of marine life | |
| Oil pollution | Crude oil spills from ships are difficult to clean up and persist in the ocean for years |
| Offshore drilling contributes to oil pollution | |
| Sewage | While banned in the USA, sewage contributes to ocean pollution in other regions |
| Agricultural pollution | Excess chemical fertilizers can make their way into the oceans |
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Plastic pollution
The durability of plastic, often enhanced by additives, means it can take at least 400 years for plastic products to break down. In the ocean, plastic breaks down into microplastics, smaller than 5mm in size, and nanoplastics, smaller than 100nm. These microplastics have been found everywhere, from Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, and are even present in municipal drinking water systems and the human body. While microplastics are challenging to recover once in the ocean, they can be prevented from entering waterways through improved waste management systems, recycling, and reduced manufacturing of single-use plastics.
The impact of plastic pollution on marine life is severe and increasingly visible. It is estimated that plastic pollution has impacted at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of seabird species, and 43% of marine mammal species. Marine animals mistake plastic waste for food, leading to ingestion, starvation, suffocation, infection, and drowning. For example, in 2010, a California grey whale washed up dead with over 20 plastic bags, duct tape, and other plastic items in its stomach. Seabirds are particularly prone to ingesting plastic, and this has detrimental effects on chick growth and survival, with 98% of sampled chicks containing plastic.
The global production of plastic has rapidly increased, with annual production increasing nearly 230-fold in the last seven decades to 460 million tons in 2019. While high-income countries consume the most plastic, waste management systems in these countries are generally effective, keeping plastic out of the natural environment. In contrast, lower-income countries often have inefficient or non-existent garbage collection systems, and middle-income countries with growing plastic consumption lack adequate waste management infrastructure. As a result, most ocean plastics originate from poorer countries.
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Oil spills
Oil toxicity refers to the toxic compounds in oil that cause severe health problems such as heart damage, stunted growth, and immune system dysfunction, and can even lead to death. Fish eggs and larvae are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of oil spills. Oil spills can also render seafood unsafe for human consumption.
The impact of oil spills on the ocean can range from days to years or even decades, affecting spatial scales of tens of square meters to thousands of square kilometers. While specialists and veterinarians are trained to deal with oiled wildlife, cleaning, and rehabilitating them, it is often challenging to locate and catch wildlife affected by oil spills, especially over wide areas or with large animals such as whales.
Crude oil is challenging to clean up and can persist in the ocean for years. Oil spills have received considerable public attention due to the obvious environmental damage they cause, including oil-coated shorelines and dead or distressed wildlife.
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Noise pollution
Ocean noise pollution has increased dramatically over the last few decades, causing significant harm to marine ecosystems and wildlife. This type of pollution is particularly damaging as many marine animals are highly dependent on sound for survival. Visibility is often low underwater, so sound has evolved as an important sensory signal, especially for marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises.
Loud noises can also cause immediate damage, such as hearing loss, which can prove fatal when sound is a crucial tool for survival. Noise pollution has been linked to direct injuries in whales and dolphins, causing them to panic and suffer from decompression sickness or haemorrhaging to the heart and brain when exposed to certain sonar frequencies.
The primary sources of ocean noise pollution are shipping, recreational boating, military activities, and energy exploration. Cargo ships can emit noise levels of up to 190 decibels, comparable to a jet engine or a rock concert, and this noise can travel thousands of kilometres underwater. To reduce noise pollution, policies should focus on quieter technologies, such as reducing propeller noise from ships and mitigating the sounds of sonar equipment and seismic air guns.
There have been efforts to address this issue, with organizations like IFAW advocating for the regulation of underwater noise and the development of quieter technologies. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is also working on revising guidelines for reducing noise emissions from shipping, and local governments and ports have established their own regulations in the absence of international standards. These combined efforts offer hope for improving the ocean soundscape and enabling the recovery of marine life.
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Agricultural runoff
The National Water Quality Assessment reveals that agricultural runoff is the leading cause of water quality degradation in rivers and streams and significantly impacts lakes and wetlands. Excessive nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers and manure, can fuel the growth of algal blooms, leading to hypoxic conditions that are detrimental to aquatic life. This process can also affect recreational activities in local streams and downstream reservoirs.
Moreover, agricultural runoff contributes to soil erosion, which can overwhelm aquatic ecosystems, smother breeding grounds, and degrade marine ecosystems, including coral reefs. The bacteria and nutrients from livestock and poultry manure can contaminate beaches, shellfish beds, and even drinking water supplies. Pesticides, another component of agricultural runoff, pose risks to aquatic life, fish-eating wildlife, and drinking water sources.
The impacts of agricultural runoff vary depending on factors such as the type of farming operation, landscape conditions, soil types, climate, and farm management practices. While some pollutants may enter groundwater, the majority are transported to surface waters. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collaborates with various agencies to address nonpoint source pollution, including agricultural runoff, by developing control plans and initiatives like the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI).
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Land-based trash
Marine trash includes all manufactured products, most of which are plastic, that end up in the ocean. Land-based trash enters the ocean due to littering, illegal dumping, poor waste disposal practices, stormwater discharge, and extreme natural events like tsunamis. While it may not always be intentional, the debris comes from human activity on land.
Littering is a significant contributor to land-based trash in the ocean. This includes plastic items such as shopping bags, beverage bottles, bottle caps, food wrappers, and fishing gear. Single-use plastic bottles, eating utensils, and straws are also massive ocean polluters. Plastic waste is particularly problematic as it is long-lasting and can take hundreds of years to decompose. During this time, marine life suffers the consequences. Fish become tangled and injured in the debris, and some animals mistake plastic bags for food and eat them. As plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, known as microplastics, small organisms absorb the chemicals from the plastic into their tissues. These microplastics are then ingested by larger marine animals, impacting over 900 megafaunal species, including more than 100 endangered species.
Poor waste disposal practices also play a role in land-based trash entering the ocean. This includes improper disposal of plastics and other recyclable materials, as well as inadequate waste management systems in some countries. Only 9% of plastic is recycled globally, and about 22% of plastic waste is not collected, improperly disposed of, or ends up as litter. Middle-income countries, where plastic usage is growing, often lack adequate waste management systems to handle the increase in consumption. Additionally, manufacturing plants in many areas release toxic waste into the ocean, including mercury.
Runoff is another source of land-based trash in the ocean. This occurs when rain or snow moves pollutants from the land into the ocean. For example, after a heavy rainstorm, water flows off roads into the ocean, carrying oil left on the streets from cars. Agricultural runoff can also be a problem, as excess chemical fertilizers can eventually make their way into the ocean. When agricultural nutrients such as nitrogen are dumped into the sea in large amounts, they can stimulate the explosive growth of algae. When the algae decompose, they consume oxygen in the surrounding waters, creating dead zones that result in mass die-offs of fish and other marine life.
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Frequently asked questions
The oceans are the endpoint for much of the pollution we produce on land. Rivers are the main source of ocean plastic pollution, but littering, storm winds, and poor waste management also contribute to the accumulation of debris.
Ocean pollution directly affects human health and food security. Oceans provide food for 3 billion people, but pollution is killing and contaminating marine life. A recent study also found that ocean pollution is linked to widespread human health risks.
Individuals can reduce water pollution and runoff, be more mindful of their plastic consumption, and organise cleanups of local waterways. Governments can also implement policies to limit or ban the use of disposable plastic items.
