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Oceans are the largest bodies of water on Earth and contain almost 80% of the world’s animals. Oceans also provide half of the world’s oxygen supply, owing to the large amount of plants in the ocean. Oceans remained undisturbed up till the 20th century when large boats became common, allowing more people to travel the oceans, making them more vulnerable to human activities. Ocean pollution is the act of dumping toxic substances into the ocean.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it”.
-Robert Swan
While Ocean pollution may seem like a widely discussed topic, only some people know the true effect of these activities. Some of the various causes are;
This type of pollution directly enters the ocean and is one of the major contributors to pollution. Most sewage enters from drainpipes which empty into the ocean and from the runoff of mineral waste directly into the sea. Large amounts of toxins are released into the water, contaminating plants which affects the whole food chain. The contaminated plants die, which in turn reduces the amount of oxygen levels and there is a decline in the quality of water.
Industrial and agricultural waste are also common and are also directly discharged into the ocean. The toxic chemicals are devastating for wildlife as the hazardous chemicals can cause mutations and genetic problems, leaving the species at risk of extinction. They also increase the temperature of the water, which increases global warming. Animals that cannot survive the temperature change eventually perish.
Crude oil can last for years in the ocean and the toxins that the crude oil contains are very harmful to marine life. It is also very expensive and difficult to clean up spilled Crude oil, so it usually stays in the ocean for extended periods.
In addition, the ships carrying the oil cause noise pollution, disturbing marine animals.
Ocean mining sites drill for copper, gold, silver, and zinc which creates sulfide. These are deposited deep in the ocean, where humans cannot launch cleaning missions. The mining increases the toxicity of the ocean, and the permanent damage caused by mining is further enhanced by the leaking of chemicals and corrosion of the ocean floor.
Pollution of the ocean, surprisingly, is a huge source of ocean pollution. This occurs when objects are blown by the wind into the ocean, be it sand, dust, or manmade objects.
These manmade objects usually cannot decompose. Most of this debris is plastic, which is not bio-degradable, so it remains suspended in the ocean’s current for years.
Many animals approach plastic, getting curious, or mistake it for food. The curious animals get snagged on the plastic, which slowly kills them over time. Turtles, Dolphins, sharks, and crabs usually mistake plastic for food, and ingest them, effectively killing them.
The temperature of the oceans is steadily increasing, due to the rise of Carbon Dioxide levels. This impacts the ecosystems and marine communities that live in the ocean.
The ocean is rapidly getting affected by the various causes given above. The oil that is spilled into the ocean attaches to the gills and feathers of marine animals, causing them hindrance in the move and breathing. If the gills are completely covered, this may result in the death of the fish.
The oil spills stay suspended in the ocean for large periods, allowing no sunlight to reach the marine plants, which disturbs the process of photosynthesis. Liver and lung problems occur with animals that have encountered the oil.
The debris in the ocean degrades slowly, while also using the oxygen content in the ocean. Oxygen levels have dropped rapidly in recent times, with one report suggesting another 7% drop over the next hundred years.
Chemicals from factories are deposited into the rivers and then into oceans. Smaller animals might accidentally ingest the oil and later be eaten by the large animals. In this way, the whole food chain is affected, and it will eventually, one way or another, lead back to humans.
In this century, many organizations have been formed to combat the effects of human activities in oceans, be it anti-whaling operations or ocean cleanup operations. Some examples are Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, etc. These societies are our hope for the future as they can carry out mass operations to protect the biodiversity of the ocean, but this does not mean that we humans, individually cannot do anything.
We can use Plastic-free alternatives or use bio-degradable tools to reduce the amount of plastic waste seeping into the ocean. Currently, around 8 Billion kilograms of Plastic is being dumped into the oceans.
We can reduce our carbon footprint by using bikes or walking rather than driving a car. We can put on cool or warm clothing during summers and winters instead of using Air conditioning and heaters.
We should avoid products that are linked to harming endangered species and pollution, such as cosmetics that contain shark squalene and jewelry made from coral or shells of sea turtles. We can also avoid single-use plastics to protect the oceans.
“People protect what they love”- Jacques-Yves Cousteau
We should explore the oceans and get to know about their beauty and how important they are to the entire planet’s sustainability. This will encourage people to protect it as they can see the amount of wildlife they will be protecting. We can spread knowledge and start awareness of the dangers to oceans. We let people know what they can do to help make a difference.
Another very important thing is to dispose of chemicals properly and never pour chemicals into open drains, as these can enter the ocean.
In 2019, we saw how Team Trees set a huge goal of 20 million trees in under 2 months, and even more surprisingly the international reaction to it. Many Notable personalities such as Elon Musk donated. If we can achieve a goal of such magnitude in such little time, then we can surely start an international fundraiser and awareness program to help clean the oceans.
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