Solutions To Marine Pollution

Ocean pollution is a major threat to both marine life and ocean ecosystems. Changes can be made on global and individual scales to make a big impact towards preserving the oceans and saving its marine inhabitants.

 

Explorer Victor Vescovo was a terrifying 35,853 feet (10,928 meters) underwater.

A new record for manned descents into the Marianas Trench.

While he was investigating the deepest ocean trench on Earth, Vescovo identified three

new species of deep-sea life including a shrimp-like crustacean, and he also discovered something else.

Something incredible.

What he found was… a plastic bag.

That’s right, nearly 7 miles down at the bottom of one of the world’s most remote habitats, a place where no human had gone before, was contaminated with our garbage.

  

Humanity has treated the ocean badly.

For years, we’ve had an out of sight out of mind mentality.

If we didn’t see it, it’s not there.

But we’ve dumped so much trash in the sea, currents have formed debris into 5 giant garbage patches.

The largest — the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 1.6 million square kilometers, an area twice the size of Texas or three times the size of France, and it’s estimated to contain 80,000 tonnes of plastic, which weighs as much as 500 Jumbo Jets.

 

All this trash is a big, big problem.

Plastic and other trash can cloud the water, altering light levels and reducing oxygen,

therefore affecting the ability to support aquatic life.

100,000 marine animals die each year from getting entangled in plastic, and those are just the ones we find and can count, while millions more mistake microplastic for food and eat it causing them to choke or starve when their digestive systems get blocked with plastic.

 

 

The removal of this trash has both immediate and long-term wide-ranging positive effects

on the ocean’s ecosystem.

It means fewer seals and dolphins end up tangled in discarded fishing nets.

Less plastic bags in the water means fewer sea turtles mistake them for delicious jellyfish.

It stops the breakdown and hazardous slow leak of chemicals from that plastic into the water.

Cleaner water means healthier phytoplankton, which is the foundation for the marine food chain.

 

Here are 5 reasons why humanity must take care of the ocean.

 

1.    Fresh oxygen 

     The ocean covers about 70% of the earth’s surface, contains 97% of the earth’s water, and produces over half of the world's oxygen.

        Microscopic phytoplankton absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen            back into the atmosphere through photosynthesis.

 The ocean absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere.

 

 2. Temperature and weather balancing.

The ocean helps to regulate the earth’s climate. Not only does it soak up the majority of the sun’s rays, but currents spread out the heat.

 Warm water is transported from the equator to the poles, and cold water from the poles to the tropics. Without these currents, many regions would be inhabitable or experience extreme weather.

The ocean absorption of carbon dioxide also helps to keep our global climate in check.

The ocean plays a key role in the water cycle, thereby creating weather.

The sun shines, the warm currents heat the ocean, water evaporates forming clouds, increasing air temperature and humidity.

The clouds then get blown back over the land, it rains, the water nourishes the planet and then makes its way back to the ocean.

If it wasn’t for the ocean and the water cycle process, the earth would be a desert.

 

3.    Home to marine life.

The ocean is the biggest habitat on the planet.

There are about 18,000 known species of fish.

There are some 240,000 known marine species.

Scientists estimated that there are another 500,000-2 million marine organisms yet to be discovered.

 

4.    It’s an important source of food.

The ocean is the number one source of protein for more than a billion people.

Fish accounts for about 15.7% of the animal protein consumed globally.

Humans also use algae and sea plants for sushi and other dishes.

In recent years seaweed has become a trendy health food snack.

 

5.    The ocean has therapeutic properties.

Anti-viral drugs Zovirax and Acyclovir were isolated from nucleosides in Caribbean sponges.

Molluscs and other species have been found to have cancer-fighting agents.

Researchers are marine prospecting for aquatic biotechnology around volcanic vents on the seabed in the hopes of developing materials resistant to heat and toxins.

We have barely scratched the surface of the medicinal and biotechnologies the ocean may have to offer us.

Being near the ocean itself can be therapeutic.

Various studies have shown improved mental and physical health in those who spend time near the coast.

The scenery is restful.

The sound of the waves is relaxing and promotes a meditative state.

 

There are a variety of ways you can care for the ocean.

Here are just 7 of them:

1.    Educate yourself.

 The facts in this blog are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

 2. Learn about the various issues affecting our oceans and how your particular community plays into them.

 

  3, Support local efforts and public officials who pursue good ocean policy.

 

 4. Don’t litter. 

Storm drains flow into local waterways which ultimately flow into the ocean.

When it rains, trash-clogged storm drains can back up and make streets flood.

Also, lots of junk is pushed into the water system and into the ocean.

 

 5. Reduce Pollutants. 

Choose nontoxic chemicals and dispose of pesticides, motor oil, and cleaning products properly.

Never simply dump hazardous materials down a drain, this pollutes your local water system.

 

 6. Reduce waste.

Shop wisely. Be mindful of what you purchase, because one day it will be trash.

Support companies that practice green manufacturing and limit wasteful packaging.

opt not to use single-use plastics such as plastic cutlery, plastic bags, and balloons.

Invest in environmentally friendly items such as cloth shopping bags and reusable water bottles.

 

    7, Participate in cleanups at the beach and local watersheds in your community.

If your community doesn’t have a cleanup day or program, consider starting one.

 

Share your knowledge with friends and encourage them to join you in donating to clean the

ocean, volunteering, and reducing waste.

 

It's hard to clean up mass pollution once it has occurred, so the best plan is prevention. Several changes can take place to help keep industry in check and encourage sustainable practices in the US and across the globe such as:

·        Stricter government regulations on industry and manufacturing is one large scale solution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has enacted several laws to help protect beaches, reduce pollution from ships, reduce marine debris, and prohibit ocean dumping.

·        Implement renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power, to limit off-shore drilling. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tracks renewable ocean energy projects and offers analysis on how renewable energy can impact oceans throughout the United States.

·        Limit agricultural pesticides and encourage organic farming and eco-friendly pesticide use. There are several federal laws and regulations that help prevent the sale and use of substandard pesticides. The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to evaluate the impact of pesticides on endangered species and their habitats, including those in the ocean.

·        Proper sewage treatment and exploration of eco-friendly wastewater treatment options, such as recycling sewage sludge to carbon-phosphorous fertilizer, are other solutions. Under the Clean Water Act, the EPA offers assistance for recycling biosolids and regulates sewage sludge to help minimize metal concentrations in water.

·        Cut down on industry and manufacturing waste and contain landfills so they don't spill into the ocean. The Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments passed in 1984 set standards for landfills and placed restrictions on where landfills may be located.

 

 

The ocean is the heart of the earth and vital not only to our survival but the survival

of every living creature.

 

Together, we can have a huge impact!