Pollution, The Destruction of our Oceans

How many bottles of water do you think you go through in a day, a week? Multiply that
by millions of people and you have a very large amount of plastic. This wouldnt be an issue if so
many of these bottles weren't reaching our oceans. Water bottles are only part, plastic bags,
containers and other plastics enter the oceans in waves of millions of tons a year. In the Los
Angelus area alone, 10 tons of plastic of trash make its way into the water everyday (OPP). Its
only plastic though , right? How harmful can it really be, we drink most of out water from it,
and store our food in it. But the massive numbers combined with the dissolving of these plastics,
concocts a toxic mixture of sea water and plastic particles.
Plastic and trash is only in small scale in comparison to the number of pollutants and
different types. From deep sea oil refineries, to the waste and discarded ship fragments and
fishing equipment, the ocean is covered in man made waste. With more focus on people in
coastal and areas closer too water, you are the start of the end of this problem. Not only are we
directly putting trash into the oceans and polluting them, but indirectly through the ground and
air. Chemicals and minerals that can travel from miles inland soak into the ocean through the
coast can harm marine life and the ecosystem.
These are a few of many more pollutant sources and types, they can go on and on. But
if we dont stop these harmful actions, or at least slow the process, the repercussions could be
much larger than you would think. The oceans are complex ecosystems filled with prosperous
life and a beautiful scenes of nature. People Not only home for thousands of forms of life, plays

a major role in the production of the worlds oxygen. The destructions of oceans could lead to
more life loss than just the marine variety.
Well start off with one of the largest contributors to the pollution of the oceans, plastic.
A wonderful lightweight, strong material that comes in many forms. Bags, bottles, containers,
straws and other miscellaneous plastics enters our oceans in masses of tons and tons each day.
Due to overflowing waste dumps, land run off and poor disposal of trash by humans the oceans
are slowly getting more and more covered with plastics and other garbage. In an article written
by the Center for Biological Diversity, it states that in the Los Angelus area alone, 10 tons of
plastic waste is carried out into the ocean everyday (OPP) . Excluding trash and other materials
non-plastic, 10 tons. Plastics and other garbage now cover about 40% of the oceans (OPP).
Imagine the mass numbers of trash on a global scale entering the waters daily, the amounts
would be astronomical. Although on land, plastic is great for numerous different reasons and
very commonly used by people everyday. But plastics in the water, especially at the massive
scale we are talking about, can be hazardous and deadly for many reasons. One is that smaller
plastics and fragments can mistaken for food by fish, birds, whales, turtles and more. Scientist
all over the globe have discovered an increasing high amount of dead marine life and birds with
stomachs filled of plastics and waste. This can be harmful in few different days. The animal
could suffocate and die from lack of oxygen. Most plastics dont dissolve quickly and start can
fill up space in the stomach, causing the animal to eventually die from starvation. If not killed by
these, toxins and chemicals found in plastics are absorbed into the animals blood and body
through the stomach (OPP). This can cause illness and lead to death in many type of animals.

Animals and sea life also can become entangled in plastic rope and nettings and can never free
themselves, eventually killing them.
But where does all that plastics go? Does it sink, float, disappear magically? Well actually,
all three. With most of the plastics that go into the oceans have low density, its tends float on
the ocean surface and move in large concentrated masses. It follows currents and can create
mile long masses of plastic. Along the North Pacific Gyre, there is a massive mass of plastic
hanging just below and on the surface that it covers almost twice the amount of size as Texas
(OPP). Not a solid land mass capable of holding any substantial weight, but more of a "plastic
soup" that floats and hangs a few feet under the waters surface. And if you think one of these
are a problem, this is only 1 of 5 other floating masses of plastics scattered through our oceans
(OPP). In this mixture of plastics, sizes can be from large containers and bottles, all the way
down to small fragments millimeters wide to really create a soup type of mixture that covers
the ocean. Plastic in these areas can out number base food sources like zooplankton and small
feeder fish 6 to 1 (OPP). Leaving marine life with little food and stomachs full of plastic and
harmful material and chemicals. These chemicals are passed down the food chain through the
consumption of other animals with these toxins already absorbed into their bodies . Mentioned
in Lesley Parkers article for Australian Geographic ,these toxins can eventually even effect
humans by making up to larger prey like tuna, salmon, and other large fish commonly found in
our diet (Parker). Not only a problem in the US, effects are seen around the globe. Australian
marine biologist Kathy Townsend, began looking into the increasing number of sea turtle
deaths on the coasts of Australia. At the beginning of research, only 2% of sea turtle deaths
were linked to plastic and garbage. Just a few years later, around 40% of deaths were linked to

ingestion of garbage and plastics (Parker). Australia is facing its own pollution issue and its own
large mass of floating plastic.
Another big contributor to ocean pollution are oil and chemical spills. Explosions and
complications in off shore oil rigs and boats have caused spills letting thousands of barrels of
crude oil into the sea water, and with the explosions usually come with a period of time where
they cant access the leak and are unable to stop it. Like the explosion in 2010 in the Gulf of
Mexico, 5 million barrels of oil was spilled into the water before it was finally shut off (Parker).
This spill was responsible for 5000 deaths of sea birds, turtles and dolphins. It effects different
life forms in different ways. Stated by marine biologist Ermal Xhelilaj and Sinanaj Shkelqim in
entry in the Journal of Maritime studies, mammals that breed on land like sea lions or otters
can be most effected. Animals that use their fur for heat and body temperature regulation can
be coated in oil, causing overheating, hypothermia or death(Xhelilaj). Other mammals like
dolphins and whales that relocate themselves to clean water are less likely to be effected. Birds
that dive down or submerge themselves to eat can starve to death without access to their food
supply under the oil, or die trying to reach it (Xhelilaj). But these spills can harm more then the
ocean. Areas surrounding these spills receive large amounts of air pollution. Harmful toxins and
carcinogens can also reach inland water systems and spread further (Xhelilaj). These spills can
be very costly in the terms of life lost and pricey clean up. With at the specific equipment and
personnel needed, clean up cost can easily reach number of 60-70 millions dollars. With no
specific number released, it speculated that the spill in the gulf cost more then a billion dollars
to fix. I believe that avoidable tragedies like this shouldn't be happening and need to stop. The
massive amount of money put into the clean up an avoidable spill could and should have been

used on new cleaner technology, boats, rigs, and put toward the clean up of the already
massive plastic problem.
This can be harmful for more then what lives in the ocean. Chemicals and harmful
pollutants that enter the water through these spills, such as DDT are passed down the food
chain by bioaccumulation (Parker). In other words, the smaller, prey fish of the waters ingests
the chemicals and plastics, they absorbed into the fish's body, then eaten by a larger predator.
Passing the harmful pollutants down the line, and eventually reaching humans. In some
cultures and areas of the world, fish and other sea life are main sources of food. Over exposure
to chemicals like DDT, can cause complications humans leading to illness, mutations and even
death (Parker). The most dangerous pollutants are chemicals. Heavy metals like mercury are
released into the air by the burning of coal, absorbed into to clouds and moisture in the air,
then precipitate back down into the ocean. Ocean conservationist Alan Sielen in article for
Foreign Affairs, states chemicals known as persistent organic pollutions can be absorbed in the
tissue of fish and start to pile up over time and exposure (Sielen). These chemicals are then
moved down the food chain the animals that eat them, not only marine animals, but birds and
others predators can be effected. These can make there way into land food chains and further
push the spread of these harmful chemicals to more species. Studies show that constant
exposure to the organic pollutants can not only cause death and abnormalities in fish. But can
also effect the development of the brain, and neurotic system in humans (Sielen).
Another contributor is run off from the continents. Chemicals and nutrients can soak
into the ground and travel miles to the coast where it is absorbed into the oceans through the

coast (Sielen). Often used far inland, fertilizers swell the ground with nutrients. These nutrients
can seep to coastal waters and cause "algal blooms". These nutrients rapidly boost algae
growth, when these large masses die off, they release harmful toxins into the water. Killing of
complex marine life and fish (Sielen) . This can result in complete marine dead zones. Areas
depleted of their complex marine life and almost barren. These barren dead zones are
becoming far too popular in numbers having multiplied by 4 over the past 30 to 40 years
(Sielen). Some dead spots are even said to be up to the size of New Jersey.
The destruction of the earths oceans could effect life as whole. It is important that all
diverse ecosystems properly function maintain and support life. It is important that earths
many ecosystems stay heathy and running as they aid each other in maintaining heathy and
diverse wildlife. A good analogy used was by destroying the oceans, were a destroying what
was once and intricate food web now turned into a "simplistic system" of bottom feeders and
disease. That "humans are destroying the lions and tigers of the ocean to make room for the
cockroaches and rats" (Sielen). Destroying the ocean will cause much more issues then just that,
can end in food supply shortage, effect human health and take away jobs. How successful
would all those off shore snorkeling or diving companies be if plastic trash outnumber sea life in
areas? Or how fun would a deep sea fishing trip be in one of those dead zones with little to no
fish to even catch. Who's going to take surf lessons when every time you fall off, you fall into a
soup mixture of sea water and garbage. Think of the coastal areas and people around the world
and the percentage of marine life that is used as everyday food. Some more distant and
primitive society's use sea life as almost there complete diet.

Mentioned in the article "Seasick, our Acidic Ocean, oceanographer on Walsh says
carbon dioxide is essential for the growth of plankton, a first stage of marine life that feeds
predators down the food chain all the way to whales. So you can say it plays an important role
in the maintaining a balance in the oceans ecosystems, but can also be detrimental to oceans if
received in excessive amounts. CO2 fuels photosynthesis is phyto-plankton, which are eaten
and passed through the food chain (Walsh). These phyto-plankton take in the CO2 and in turn
produce oxygen. The ocean is responsible for the production of 50-80% of the worlds oxygen
supply. The dissolving of CO2 into the oceans forms a carbonic acid that is released. The
average pH balance in the ocean is 8.1. Any higher it would become more alkaline and less
would become more acidic. The constant acidification created by the absorption of CO2 has
caused a steady decrease in the oceans pH level. This can effect all types of marine life, this
reduces the ability for organisms to extract calcium form the water. Strong calcareous things
like shells and large structures like coral reefs. Which can ultimately lead some marine life to
die off and possibly go extinct. Coral reefs are home to a quarter of known marine life species.
More than half of the worlds coral reefs are under stress and at risk from pollution and
increasing acidity. The destruction of these reefs would destroy homes of many types of fish
and marine life. They could also have a larger impact on the ocean ecosystem and environment
as well. It has also been noted that global seawater temperature has been rising. Warmer
waters can not retain as much CO2 as cooler ocean waters. This means thats less CO2 will be
absorbed into the ocean and more will stay in the atmosphere. Ending with dangerous amount
of CO2 in the air, harmful to animals and humans. This will create of loop of CO2 generation.

With more CO2 in the air, this warms ocean temperatures, which in turn can not hold as much
CO2, releasing more into the air in a never ending cycle.
What's been done is done, but its not too late to stop and prevent. All across the world
efforts to stop the destruction and pollution of our oceans need to be raised. Pollution is a
global issue no one man or community can stop. People across the world need to work
together to stop this. Starts with you, tossing your morning water bottle in the recycling bin not
the garbage. Making sure your garbage actually reaches the trash can and doesnt end up on
the ground. The solution starts with you.

Works Cited

"Ocean Plastics Pollution :A Global Tragedy for Our Oceans and Sea Life." Center
For Biological Diversity. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

Parker, Lesley. "Oceans Of Rubbish." Australian Geographic 101 (2011): 114-118. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 31 Mar. 2016.

Sielen, Alan B. "The Devolution Of The Seas." Foreign Affairs 92.6 (2013): 124-132.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.

Walsh, Don. "Seasick: Our Acidic Ocean." U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 138.9 (2012):86.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Mar. 2016

Xhelilaj, Ermal, and Shkelqim Sinanaj. "The Behaviour And Effects Of Oil Pollution Into Marine
Environment And Oceans."Pomorstvo / Journal Of Maritime Studies 24.1(2010): 1925.Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.