Much of the trash such as glass and plastic can be recycled at port, but if it is not recycled, it is incinerated and then dumped at sea, contributing to the floating plastic debris that has a serious effect on a wide range of marine organisms. According to the Coast Guard there is more the one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals that die each year from ingesting or becoming entangled in plastic debris. In addition to this waste, industries onboard generate waste from photo shops, print shops, x-ray development, batteries, paint, and solvents. These toxic wastes have been known to cause death and reproductive failure in a number of marine
Oceans are being polluted by substances such as farm fertilizers, chemicals produced in factories, and harmful sewage from towns and cities (Claybourne 38). Trash and debris, especially plastics, are deposited into the oceans by humans. These objects can be mistaken as food by many species, which eventually leads to death. When species consume what looks like to be food, but in reality is hazardous waste, the animal contains that chemical inside of them. When a larger animal consumes the hazardous animal, it affects the entire food chain (“What Is Ocean”).
Consequently, these plastic objects and litter get caught on the necks, fins, arms, or legs of marine organisms. The main victims of plastic are fish, dolphins, turtle, sea birds, crabs, crocodile, and
This quote explains how most of the water pollution is caused by human activity. “ Plastic litter does not degrade, can be expected to last in the oceans for hundreds of years “ ( source 6 ). This quote is explaining how the garbage is not going away for a very long time and will continue to pollute the oceans until the litter is gone/
Ocean Pollution DBQ Did you know that every year, eight million metric tons of plastic is dumped or somehow ends up in the ocean (Doc. 1)? The following sentences will talk about what people are doing to pollute the oceans and how they are making the pollution better. Humans are the biggest threat to animals in the ocean because they litter so much (OI). Sometimes, people litter without even knowing they're littering.
The problem is not having a good time at the beach, the problem is that people seem to lack environmental protection awareness. The parties go on all day and night long, and then people pack up to head on home leaving behind plastic bags, cigarette buds, glass bottles, cans and other scraps they did not appropriately dispose of. “Every year this event leaves behind tons of trash all around the island. Much of the waste is collected the next day, but there are other beaches that although unwilling, ingest garbage until they reach their depths, threatening hundreds of marine species of animals and plants that live with them” (Mi Puerto Rico Verde). Little do citizens know that a large amount of the garbage that is left on the sand is eventually washed into the ocean by the tide, harming the marine ecosystem.
The trash from the coasts of North-America takes roughly six years travel against only one year of travel for Asian countries to reach the Great pacific garbage patch (2). The other 20% originates from sea-based activities. The sources of this pollution can be categorised in categories(3). The first category of litter from the beach which has been caused by beach goers this litters includes all kind of food wrappings, cigarettes or even plastic toys that were left behind or simply forgotten. Sewage related is also a source this contains water from combined sewers overflows which is dumped directly in the sea or ocean(3).
According to a Biological Diversity website (https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/ocean_plastics/), the author states that “Thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting plastic.” People keep littering and that littering is killing precious marine life. The level of
Oceans are threatened daily by both natural and manmade pollution, as the largest factor affecting them is plastic. Over the last decade, there has been more plastic produced compared to the last 100 years (“How Ocean Pollution Impacts Marine Life-and All of Us”). Around 100 millions tons of plastic is produced every year and 10 percent of that plastic ends up in the sea. Many sources are the cause of ocean litter including trash that washes off city streets, waste blown in from landfills, and containers that fall off ships during heavy storms. Many marine mammals mistake these for food (Greer, Abigail).
Although it was initially assumed that the ocean has an abundant and limitless supply of food resources, the destructive impacts of fisheries have now come to light. It is becoming clear from decades of fishery activities that these practices are highly detrimental to the aquatic environment, be it freshwater or marine. Furthermore, fisheries are noticing declines in the abundance and variety of the fish and invertebrates that are harvested. This is not only due to overexploitation but also physical and ecological damage to the fishery environment (NOAA, 1998). In fact, fisheries or the commercial harvesting of fish and shellfish is by far the most destructive force in the oceans today.