Ocean Pollution

Ocean pollution is a big problem that is affecting the entire world. There is a thought among some that because oceans are vast a deep that pollution won’t affect them. Many think pollution is just trash, but it’s chemicals too. There are different kinds of ocean pollution and some things you wouldn’t expect to be considered pollution.

Sunscreen is a huge problem when it comes to ocean pollution.  The sunscreen people wear to the beaches is killing coral and reefs across the world.  About 14,000 tons of sunscreen is washed into the ocean every ocean pollutionyear.  That means 10% of reefs are exposed to these toxins.  It only takes a small dose of sunscreen to damage the fragile corals.  Besides sunscreen, trash in the waters is also an issue.

Trash in the ocean is a global problem because it can move so far.  Said by Manipadma Jena, “Marine litter can move long distances, becoming international”. Scientists cannot determine the exact amount of trash in the ocean because of how far it can travel.  They are finding marine litter where they never thought.  Evangelos Papathanassious found a sewing machine 4,000 feet deep in the Mediterranean Ocean. That just shows how big this problem is.

There are people trying to stop ocean pollution.  The Trash Free Waters organization is trying to prevent trash from reaching water.  They use regional and local solutions to reduce trash from entering the ocean.  Their goal is to stop marine litter from threatening marine life and coral bleaching.  They are an important part of getting trash out of the ocean.

Education on ocean pollution is important if it is going to be solved.  Education should be focused on the chemical effects, how litter travels, and how people are working to stop the pollution.  Metals, plastics, rubber, medical waste, oil, ect. should never enter the ocean.  Ocean pollution is a global issue and requires everybody’s help to stop the problem.

  • What is the main cause of pollution?
  • How can we do more to stop the pollution?
  • How is ocean pollution affecting animals?

3 thoughts on “Ocean Pollution

  1. Ocean pollution is a real issue that needs fixed before more damage is done. To answer your questions on the bottom I used the website: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/pollution.html. The main cause of ocean pollution comes from runoff. Runoff comes from many sources that leak into the ocean and pollute it. In fact 80% of ocean pollution comes from land. Humans are a huge reason why the oceans are polluted. The cars we use produce air pollution that settles in the ocean. To stop pollution we need to create cleaner machines that produce less pollution. Ocean pollution effect animals by destroying there habitats and source of food. Millions of dollars are used every year to restore and protect damaged areas but it may not be enough.

  2. This blog is very interesting and I realize is an important issue we need to solve. To answer your question: How can we do more to help? I found a website that helps with pollutions. The organization that does such is called WWF. They help educate locals and inspire others to help out. Not only that, but they also talk to companies that would be willing to help stop pollution from overtaking our earth. They ask that to help them, we are able to donate or even adopt a polar bear! The website/organization’s link is: http://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution

  3. All you say about ocean pollution is true. It helped me a lot to see it from another point of view, more sincere point of view. All types of chemical that are getting into the water are contagious, not only oils from industries or direct chemicals, but like you said sunscreen, some beverages, trash, etc. Animals on the ocean are dying and we can’t see them so we don’t to anything for them. I think everyone needs to realize what are we doing to the earth. Here is a video to get another perspective of the situation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBOlzTeyTZg

Leave a Reply to adampwinter17 Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *