Ocean Pollution
Pollution in our oceans is a serious problem. According to Marie Wild in her article "Ocean Pollution", "Ocean pollution is one of the major killers of our sea animals.". Most of the waste that is dumped is plastic, which takes hundreds of years to break down (Oceanic Research Foundation [ORF]). Everyday millions of animals are caught in fishing nets and six pack beer rings. It is thought that only fish are affected from getting caught in these. In reality they also kill birds, turtles, dolphins and seals. The animals are slowly strangled or suffocated by the rings as well as cans, fishing line, nets, kite strings and ropes (Wild). Or, as stated be the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), they die from accidental consumption (NWF website). Garbage is not the only threat to the safety of our oceans though, other thing
All of these things are polluting our oceans and slowly killing organisms that are vital to the environment. The purification cycle continues when these plants and animals die and the bacteria decompose them, providing new generations of organisms with nourishment. This decomposition produces the carbon dioxide, nutrients and other substances needed by plants and animals living in the water. Also responsible are the factories that are located on the coast. s, such as, air pollution and chemicals are dangers too. Ships cause much of this pollution, often dumping raw sewage into the ocean (Ocean Dumping-The Causes of Ocean Pollution; Ed Hunt, pg. A large increase could lead to long term rises in the levels of water mutagens, pathogens, teratogens and radioactive materials (Hunt 46). Energy from sunlight drives the process of photosynthesis in aquatic plants, which produces oxygen to break down some of the organic material such as plant and animal waste. This overabundance of nutrients is causing algae blooms worldwide, impacting the marine food web. Also stated in the article was:Water is purified in large part by the routine actions of living organisms. In previous years major culprits were paper mills and related plants, which would release waste into the ocean. These are called persistent and are of great environmental concern. Over sixty percent of the raw or treated sewage produced by man, rich in nitrogen, is being dumped into the oceans causing eutrophication in coastal waters.
Common topics in this essay:
Fresh Water,
Affecting Oceans,
Ed Hunt,
ORF Everyday,
Federation NWF,
Pollution Ocean,
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Environment Canada,
Marie Wild,
ocean pollution,
plants animals,
Ocean Pollution,
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