NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER

STUDIES
Cotabato City, Philippines, 9600

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND

ENGINEERING
ENVI 2000

A CASE STUDY:
Environmental Awareness:
A Study about the Effects of
Marine Pollution to Marine life

Submitted by:

Macmod, Datu Ronnel 20101278

Mala, Farhana 20100362
Midtimbang, Bai Dhoha 20100831
Milanes, Crisostomo 20100540

Submitted to:
Engr. Artchie Padayhag
Subject Instructor

BSCE – 3B

Date Submitted:
14 November 2022
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Marine pollution is directly or indirectly by man, causing negative impacts like risks to
human health, hindrances to maritime activities, and a decline in seawater quality. One of the
effects of marine pollution in our industry is the food production, which results in the most
substantial commercial damage. Marine ecosystem needs to be conserved because it is one of the
sources of foods and other products like oil, aggregates, stones, and many more.
The marine plastic disaster may appear to be a relatively recent phenomenon due to the
extensive media coverage it has received over the past 10 years. We can gain insight into how
this material got to be so prevalent by knowing the history of marine plastic pollution. At least
800 species worldwide are affected by marine pollution, and as much as 80 percent of that litter
is plastic. Most of the environmental problems that our earth are experiencing is marine
pollution, it is because of humans or human activities. 70 percent of the earth surface are covered
by water and 97 percent of it is found in the ocean, and this body of water is a major target of
pollution. Our marine animals or living organisms suffer as more harmful substances encroach
on their environment.
There are practical ways that help reduce marine pollution including prevention and
cleanup. So-called "biodegradable" plastics often break down only at temperatures higher than
will ever be reached in the ocean. According to a 2018 report from the United Nations, more
than sixty countries have enacted regulations to limit or ban the use of disposable plastic items.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3
THE CASE STUDY 4
CONCLUSION 6
APPENDICES 7
REFERENCES 8

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INTRODUCTION

This case study is about the analysis of the effects of marine pollution in marine lives. It
is very important to regard this concern as it distresses the industry of fisheries and aquaculture
production, economy and the possible causes that you may get by consuming fishes or any other
edible resources in oceans. Marine pollution is quite a massive phenomena in time being,
because it is an acquaintance of water pollution which also causes a lot of effects in both human
and marine lives. Marine ecosystem needs to be conserved because it is one of the sources of
foods and other products like oil, aggregates, stones, and many more. The rapid development of
industry has made environmental issues increasingly prominent. Marine pollution is directly or
indirectly by man, causing negative impacts like risks to human health, hindrances to maritime
activities, and a decline in seawater quality. Even though some of the causes of marine pollution
are similar to those of general water pollution, there are some quite distinct reasons why marine
waterways become contaminated.
It is important to have knowledge about the circulating phenomena about the marine
environment to have a better understanding on how to adopt the manner of conserving marine
lives. The over raging threats are uncontrollable as it became a norm for some to do some
inappropriate acts that causes inadequate supply of some resources that came from the marine
environment. One of the effects of marine pollution in our industry is the food production, which
results in the most substantial commercial damage, and also results from tainting, which gives
fish and seafood a bad taste and can be detected at incredibly low levels of contamination. This
lowers the seafood's market value. Chemical contamination is one of the causes of marine
pollution which is often known as nutrient pollution, is detrimental for the environment, human
health, and the economy.

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THE CASE STUDY

In the late 1960s, marine pollution began to become increasingly prominent, when
researchers started some of the first extensive studies on pollutants such as plastic trash,
chemicals, etc. Scientists have documented instances of some countries in the world becoming
trapped in netting consuming plastic objects. The history of marine pollution was built upon, and
it was in the 1970s that the presence of micro plastics became quite apparent. The marine plastic
disaster may appear to be a relatively recent phenomenon due to the extensive media coverage it
has received over the past 10 years. However, this predicament dates back decades, and the
history of plastic itself goes back even more. We can gain insight into how this material got to be
so prevalent and how we might apply lessons from the past by knowing the history of marine
plastic pollution.
According to the United Nations, at least 800 species worldwide are affected by marine
pollution, and as much as 80 percent of that litter is plastic. Up to 13 million metric tons of
plastic are predicted to enter the ocean yearly, which is equal to one trash or garbage truck load
every minute. Fish, seabirds, sea turtles, and marine mammals can suffocate, starve, or drown
when they eat or get tangled in plastic trash. Humans are not immune to this threat, While
plastics are estimated to take up to hundreds of years to fully decompose, some of them break
down much quicker into tiny particles, which in turn end up in the seafood we eat. According to
research, plastic has been consumed by 50% of all sea turtles globally. Some starve after doing
so, mistakenly believing they have eaten enough because their stomachs are full. Plastic
pollution is so widespread on many beaches that it is reducing turtle reproduction rates by
changing the temperature of the sand where incubation takes place.
In a recent study found, sea turtles that ingest just 14 pieces of plastic have an increased
risk of death. The young are especially at risk because they are not as selective as their elders
about what they eat and tend to drift with currents, just as plastic does. Plastic waste kills up to a
million seabirds a year. As with sea turtles, when seabirds ingest plastic, it takes up room in their
stomachs, sometimes causing starvation. Many seabirds are found dead with their stomachs full
of this waste. Scientists estimate that 60 percent of all seabird species have eaten pieces of
plastic, a figure they predict will rise to 99 percent by 2050. 70 percent of the earth surface is
covered by water and 97 percent of it is found in the ocean, and this body of water is a major
target of pollution we call Marine pollution. Our marine animals or living organisms suffer as
more harmful substances encroach on their environment.
How can we prevent this environmental problem that affects marine life? Providing
solutions for such a problem needs to evaluate where it comes from and how it happened. Most
of the environmental problems that our earth are experiencing is marine pollution, it is because
of humans or human activities. As a problem, humans should be mindful about this
environmental issue. Marines need protection, not only because it provides human needs such as
food, water, or a job but also oxygen. Over half of the oxygen on earth is coming from the ocean.
There are practical ways that help reduce marine pollution including prevention and cleanup.
Disposable and single-use plastic is abundantly used in today’s society, such as plastic bags or
plastic bottles. Changing the way of controlling plastic use in a more effective way will be an

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economical and challenging process as it provides changes, but to think of the good effect of
such implementation will be pleasing and satisfying not only to marine life at the same time to
our human beings. Even some promising solutions are inadequate for combating marine
pollution. So-called “biodegradable” plastics often break down only at temperatures higher than
will ever be reached in the ocean. Nonetheless, many countries are taking action. According to a
2018 report from the United Nations, more than sixty countries have enacted regulations to limit
or ban the use of disposable plastic items.

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CONCLUSION

The introduction of dangerous contaminants and human waste into our seas and
waterways is referred to as marine pollution. Marine life confuses the toxins and garbage poured
into our waters for food. The animals are unaware of the contamination/plastics in their diet until
they are suffering and battling to survive. Animals become entangled in plastics and choke, or
they devour food that cannot be processed in their stomachs. We can lessen this by Changing the
way we restrict plastic usage in a more efficient way will be an expensive and demanding
process, but the positive effects of such adoption will be appealing and fulfilling not only to
marine life, but also to our human people. Even promising remedies are insufficient to address
marine pollution. So-called "biodegradable" plastics frequently degrade only at temperatures
greater than those found in the ocean.

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 APPENDICES

APPENDIX

Figure 1. Different trash items that are found in the ocean

Figure 2. Total macroplastic and natural counts in the ocean for over 60 years.

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 Figure 3. Cumulative Plastic Production since 1960.

Figure 4. The effects of marine plastic on biota in the environment. A score of 9

indicates a deadly or sub-lethal consequence that is worldwide, highly irreversible, and occurs
frequently; a score of +9 indicates a positive effect in terms of variety and/or abundance that is
global, highly irreversible, and occurs frequently. Supplementary resources outline the scoring
criteria.

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 REFERENCES

Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean | The Pew Charitable Trusts
(pewtrusts.org)
 Alex Hofford. (2015)  MarinePollution-001 from:
https://sites.google.com/a/region15.org/marine-pollution/home

Ostle, C., Thompson, R.C., Broughton, D. et al. The rise in ocean plastics evidenced from
a 60-year time series. Nat Commun 10, 1622 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09506-
1

Landrigan, P.J. et al (2020) Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Annals of Global Health,
86(1), p.151. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2831

Nicola J.B et al. (2019) Marine Pollution Bulletin Volume 142, May 2019, Pages 189-195.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X19302061#bbb0095

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