Ocean Pollution Research Paper

Ocean Pollution Challenges and Solutions.
What is Ocean Pollution?
We live on a planet which has five amazing oceans which affect our lives in many different ways. They contain about 97% of our water, and they flow over nearly three-quarters of our planet. Oceans affects everyone as they produce more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorb a lot of carbon from it. Also, about half of the world’s population lives within the coastal zone, and ocean based businesses contribute to more than $500 billion to the world’s economy.
This is great, but we have a tendency of taking many things for granted. Over the last few decades, excess human activities have heavily affected our oceans and have caused a lot of ocean pollution, which is …show more content…
You should be concerned about ocean conservation because you can make a difference.
Causes and Effects of Ocean Pollution
There are various ways by which pollution enters the ocean. Some of them are:
1. Sewage Polluting substances flow through sewage, rivers, or drainages directly into the ocean. This is often how minerals and substances from mining camps are found in the ocean.
2. Toxic Chemicals from Industries Industrial and agricultural waste are another common form of wastes that are directly discharged into the oceans. Not only are there some chemicals in these wastes that could be a threat to marine life, but these chemicals bio accumulate up the food chain. This means that these chemicals do not get dissolved and sink at the bottom of the ocean. Small animals ingest these chemicals, and then these small animals are later eaten by larger animals, and the concentration of the chemicals increases, and also affects the whole food chain. These wastes include various poisonous chemicals that could be a threat to marine life, and then to us. Generally at the top of the food chain is us, so not only will we be also affected, but we will be affected more because of bioaccumulation. …show more content…
littering
A portion of the billions if not trillions of tons of trash produced each year finds its way into ocean waters. Trash is also dumped from ships and offshore drilling rigs directly into the sea. The objects dumped cannot decompose and remain suspended in the oceans for years. Animals can mistake this trash for food which will slowly kill them over a long period of time.
Although the ocean can absorb carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide levels are increasing and the oceans are unable to keep up with the pace. In addition, the temperature of the ocean is highly affected by carbon dioxide and climate changes, which impacts primarily the ecosystems and fish communities that live in the ocean. In particular, the rising levels of Co2 acidify the ocean in the form of acid rain.
8. Sunscreen Sunscreen is a lesser known source of pollution, but can have grave effects. The chemicals in sunscreen worn by swimmers and divers washes off into the ocean water and coats plant-life on coral reefs and suffocates them.

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