I. INTRODUCTION
The ocean is undoubtedly one of the most valuable resources known to humans. It is sometimes called as The Big Blue or The Great Provider. Ever since, people have taken advantage of the many benefits our ocean presents us with. It’s been used as a source of food and as a source of many minerals. However, unfortunately, what seemed to be impossible a hundred years ago is happening. Sadly, the existence of this great body of water is being threatened.
Unfortunately, people have forgotten the importance of being good to our environment. People have forgotten how to dispose of their waste properly. Today, throughout the world’s oceans, lies a silent, floating killer. The Australian Marine Conservation Society describes
…show more content…
This plastic pollution rides the ocean’s currents and reaches the furthest corners of our seas. This is sad because unlike paper or glass, plastic never really goes away. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. That means that every piece of plastic anyone has ever used is still around today. Plastic pollution happens when plastics that are far inland are blown by the wind over long distances and end up in the ocean. Having said this, research shows that almost 90% of the marine debris found on Sydney’s beaches is plastic, mostly bottles, caps and straws. Also Australians use 10 million plastic bags a day (that 's 3.9 billion plastic bags a year). This tells us that the vast majority of the plastics in our seas come from urban areas. This tells us that the main cause of plastic waste in the ocean is the inability of common people to dispose of their waste properly.
Also, sewage or polluting substances that go to the ocean from rivers and different bodies of water are contributing factors. Plastics even have chemical nutrients that go to the ocean’s ecosystem. The chemical nutrients reduce the oxygen level of the ocean that affects plants, animals and ocean life. Waste is thrown directly into the ocean causing a huge
…show more content…
V. EFFECTS ON MARINE LIFE
Plastic cannot decompose. The remains of plastic we use are suspended in the oceans current for years and years. What 's even more unfortunate is that this has a negative effect on animals. They can choke on the plastic or they mistake it for food. This slowly kills them over a long period of time.
While plastic bags are the most commonly ingested item, other creatures have been found with Styrofoam and monofilament lines in their stomachs. Ingestion of plastic can lead to blockage in the gut, ulceration, internal perforation and death for these creatures, And even if their organs remain intact, they may suffer from false sensations of satiation and slow or halt reproduction.
A lot of the time, marine life ingest and get tangled in plastic. In 2008 two sperm whales that were found along the California coast with large amounts of fishing net scraps, rope and other plastic debris in their stomachs died. Animals who are most often the victims of plastic debris include turtles, dolphins, fish, sharks, crabs, sea birds, and
This is ruining the habitats of the marine life and contaminating the water. The fault of this lies on everyone on Earth. 75% of people admitted that they littered in the past 5 years. There is even a garbage island floating in our ocean, mostly comprised of plastics.
The Board doesn't think enough ocean habitats are safe. They support this with “only 1 percent of marine habitats (are) strictly protected” (par.12). This last statistic allows the reader to realize just how much needs to
Due to the negative effects caused from plastic it will always play a role in our environment. One hundred different chemicals have been created after the 1950s to the current day. Something people do not realize is that throwing a plastic wrapper on the ground will end up in a birds stomach, burning plastic in a fire will end up in the air we breathe, and recycling plastic will end up back in our homes. The author states, “I don’t even shop anymore. Anything I need will just float
D.W. Laist research claims that the polluted gyre affects 267 species worldwide: 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species. Oesophagus and stomach contents of the endangered green sea turtle were examined from 38 representatives, 23 of which (60.5%) had swallowed debris, especially plastics. Scientists have documented 6 pounds of plastic for every pound of plankton in this area (“Plastic Ocean - The Great Pacific Garbage Patch”). Most of this plastic is eaten by sea birds and animals, including turtles and albatrosses. Sea turtles often eat plastic bags instead of jellies.
According to the Environmental cleanup coalition, “Currently, an estimated 11 million tons (and growing) of floating plastic covers an area of nearly 5 million square miles in the Pacific Ocean, 700 miles northeast of the Hawaiian Island chain and 1,000 miles from the coast of California.” Plastic will float in the ocean until it is either washed on surface from strong winds that blow across the water or eaten by fish or perhaps cleaned
Intro: Water pollution has caused so many problems to our waterways that no one really knows how to help. Water pollution caused; dead zones, oil spills, garbage floating around, and unsafe drinking water. People disagree about water pollution because, people have found ways to improve and help out the problem that water pollution has caused around the world. Others believe that that water pollution has created situations and are in the process of figuring out solutions. Marine life habitats are getting destroyed, marine life is declining everyday, how and where the garbage is getting into the oceans, and the drinking water is becoming seriously unsafe to drink.
Everyday people buy plastic things from the cafeteria, from plastic containers, lids on cups, and things as small as straws, and like 50% of plastic used it will be thrown away after one use. However, do you ever stop and think, what happens to the plastic? If you’re thinking that it just magically goes away you 're wrong. It will most likely end up in a landfill somewhere or in the ocean, and as you may think that your actions do not impact the world, think again. Everyone in the world has at least used one piece of plastic, adding to the problem of plastic pollution and helping certifying the terrifying statisticc that acooording to the 2018 Earth day video, “by 2050 there will more plastic in the ocean than fish”, which almost is impossible to think of.
Another study published in 2014 estimated that Earth 's oceans now contain 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic overall, based on data from 24 trash-collecting voyages over a six-year period. That 's a lot, but it still hasn 't discouraged everyone from trying to clean it up — including the Ocean Cleanup foundation, whose research is part of an elaborate, long-term remediation plan. Ultimately, even advocates of ambitious cleanup projects acknowledge that more plastic recycling — and wider use of biodegradable materials — is still the best hope for getting ocean plastic under control.
The amount of plastic products that ended up in the ocean as of 2015 are quite high. How high you may ask yourself? No not 1 million but 9 million tons of plastic waste laid in the ocean as of 2015. Who could be responsible for most of this plastic in the ocean? Surprisingly its china, they are responsible for 2.4 million tons per year.
The reason plastic is used in many products is because it can withstand up to tons of pressure per cm3, is cheap, is durable, and finally, there is no worry for discoloring. But these days, plastic is becoming a major problem the world has to deal with. Plastic is thrown into the ocean, and it is breaking down into very small pieces, and killing marine life, as they mistake those pieces to their prey. As a matter of fact, nearly all plastics are recyclable, but it 's the recycling companies ' machines that refuse to recycle that kind of plastic(eartheasy.com). I. Plastic, what have you done?
Imagine what happens if we keep on polluting our planet? What happens to our future generation? Since plastic takes years to biodegrade, if we keep polluting our environment with plastic, then our future generation will suffer from the environment around them. It also means that plastic and other trash will continue polluting the ocean, which can cause thousands of sea animals to go extinct, providing us with less source of food. Not only sea animals, but animals all over the world might extinct or become endangered because of pollution.
Plastic pollution in the ocean Introduction Rachel L. Carson said in her book “Water, soil, and the earth´s green mantle of plants make up the world that supports the animal life of the earth” (63). In other words, our planet was always a place which was dominated by nature and it had essential relations between plants and other plants and between plants and other animals (Carson, 1962). Since the modern human started to conquer the world a lot of things have changed and technology has taken over. My essay is about a quite new but very big problem which affects our wonderful planet; it is about plastic in the ocean.
It is impossible to give an accurate estimation of the amount of plastic that is being polluted into the ocean. However, in 1975 the global fishing fleet alone dumped approximately 135 400 tons of plastic fishing gear and 23 600 tons of synthetic packaging materials
The huge amounts of plastic thrown away every year are enough to circle the world four times. According to Oxford dictionary plastic is “ a synthetic material made from a wide range of organic polymers that can be formed into shape while soft, and then set into inflexible or slightly flexible form”. It was invented by John Wesley Hayatt in 1869. Today, almost 260 million tons of plastic is produced a year. Plastic does not decompose and it stays on the surface for decades, which led to environment and health problems.
The ocean is nowadays undergoing numerous environmental issues that further lead to marine pollution. Marine pollution is a very serious environmental issue that most of the countries of the world encounter. Aquatic littering is considered as one of the major causes of marine environment. The misleading use of the marine environment is extremely impacting the marine life and ecosystems. Moreover, the total amount of toxins and debris discharged by human beings is incredibly increasing in today 's world.