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Causes and effects of plastic pollution
Effect of plastic pollution on the environment and resources
Effect of plastic pollution on the environment and resources
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Research from the University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that species in the ocean consume a projected 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic every year in the Pacific Ocean (Nall, 2014). Pollution of recyclable materials in the oceans is one of the leading causes of why some marine species are nearing extinction. Many authors of articles and books analyzing this topic tend to agree that pollution of our oceans is a problem. The future of this problem is where their ideas tend to differ. The following four literature reviews attempt to demonstrate and support my belief that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there are things that we as humans can do …show more content…
Literature Review
Recovery of Marine Animal Populations and Ecosystems: Lotze, Coll, Magera, Ward, Airoldi
In a research article by Lotze, Coll, Magera, Ward and Airoldi (2011) they examine the positive side of how ecosystems in the ocean can recover even though they are faced with many different types of struggles every day. The authors ask the main question: How common is recovery among depleted populations and degraded ecosystems in the ocean? It is hypothesized that over the years, ecosystems are going to recover and essentially in the future, increase. The results in this study supported the hypothesis of the research on recovery for certain ecosystems and stated that 10-50% of ecosystems actually show some rate of progression (Lotze, 2011). This has significance when looking at pollution and the effects it has on marine life because: “Pollution controls and habitat restoration have had important roles in the recovery of diadromous fishes. Overall, in terms of relative importance of the different factors, it has been shown that 95% of recoveries of exploited marine species in estuarine and coastal regions were enabled by
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It is hypothesized that through laboratory studies, it will be provable that microplastic expansion has gotten worse over the years and is greatly impacting marine life. The results in this study supported the hypothesis of the research because it states: “Several million tonnes of plastics have been produced since the middle of the last century (more than two hundred million tonnes annually)”(Ivar do Sul, Costa, 2013). This has significance when looking at pollution because: “Microplastics are reportedly present on six continents, and higher amounts are commonly related to densely populated areas. In a study of the types (mostly fibers) and materials (frequently polyester and acrylic) of microplastics, suggested that the plastics were produced by sewage effluents, including wastewater from washing machines”(Ivar do Sul, Costa, 2013). These results indicate that pollution is present on six of the seven continents and it comes from largely populated areas. These results agree with the hypothesis that our “untouched and super-productive world” is affecting marine life ecosystems (Vannela, 2012). All of these results combined confirm the overall hypothesis that pollution is getting worse in the ocean and more marine life ecosystems are being affected, but there
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is the largest garbage dump in the world. According to estimates made by experts, the patch holds approximately three and a half million tons of garbage. Majority of this garbage is made of plastic. This waste is a threatening problem to the patch’s surrounding wildlife. Many animals are caught in the floating pieces of trash and it is the cause of the deaths of about one million birds and about one hundred thousand other sea animals. Due to the oceans nature and constant moving currents, the trash is also constantly moving. Therefore the size of the patch never stays the exact same. However, scientists believe it be approximately two times the size of Texas. The plastic is mostly broken down from larger materials into small pieces. The patch has been referred to as one scientist as a, “plastic soup”. This garbage poses such a threat mainly because it does not biodegrade. These plastics will be in the ocean essentially forever. Many plastics also contain chemicals, and absorb other chemicals and pollutants they become exposed to. These newly absorbed toxins are then leaked and distributed back into the ocean over time. The chemicals can directly enter the bodies of the animals which consume them. A study was being conducted by scientists of the fish that inhabit the area around the patch. What the researchers found inside the belly of one fish (that was no larger in size than that of a finger), was eighty four small fragments of plastic. It does not take scientists to recognize the impact of this problem, Zach Gold, who is sixteen, is from Santa Monica California. Zach enjoys s...
Microplastics are often consumed by smaller fish, who are then consumed by bigger fish where the plastic continues to collect. Humans then proceed to eat the bigger fish, leading to us consuming plastics as well. This illustrates that in the end, everything we do to wildlife we do to ourselves. Overall, the documentary suggests that marine life is worth protecting because it is not ours to destroy: everyone on the coast will suffer. Essentially, we are trapping ourselves. If the path we are on continues, the amount of plastic in the ocean will outweigh all of the fish in the sea by 2050. This is a shocking, and devastating, statistic. It is also important to note that it seldom is the communities themselves using the ocean as a dumping ground. The plastic ends up in water systems and eventually gets brought to shore by the tide. It is not just litter that was dropped on the
Which means their obviously bad for the aquatic marine life environment & are cause many different forms of damage for them & us as one. On p.g. 23 of The New York Times upfront magazine “Birds,fish, sea turtles, & others are getting tangled in plastic bags or mistake them for food & choke”. Someone else might argue that they could the plastic bags in landfills instead of oceans. But that counter- argument is flawed because you’re just polluting by burning plastic which is bad on our part we’re not doing our part to support & taking care of the earth. Plastic in the ocean isn't just bad for plants & animals but for humans too because of the food chain some of us eat animals as a meat source such as aqua marine life like fish. If the fishermen catch fish that have been eating plastic then it's in our food supply if we eat that fish it's gonna be bad for us so many will end up getting sick from the plastic inside of the fish then what will we do our aqua marine food supply will go down the drain we couldn’t eat the fish since it's basically contaminated with plastic that we’re dumping there instead of trying to fix it & getting rid of plastic bags for good for the good of the earth. We’re causing damage towards the earth by dumping all that plastic into the ocean which damages our water supply it’ll poison us although we clean the water it depends on how big the plastic particles are, it’ll make us sick & sense it’s been lying in the oceans could bring in new pathogens &
Every year, an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste enters our environment, severely polluting oceans, beaches, forests, and even the towns and cities we live in. In the ocean alone, it is believed that 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic pollutes the waters (“Plastic Statistics”, Ocean Crusaders).The majority of plastic pollution can be traced back to single-use items, such as grocery bags, bottles, and plastic packaging. According to United Nations Environment, “At the rate we are dumping items such as plastic bottles, bags and cups after a single use, by 2050 oceans will carry more plastic than fish…” (“UN Declares War on Ocean Plastic”, UN Environment). This pollution is a major problem and endangers not only the environment, but human
Ocean Pollution is a serious issue in today's global politics. The delicate balance of Earth's ecosystem is put in jeopardy when the ocean is not clean. Problem evolving from ocean pollution directly harm marine life and indirectly affect human health and the Earth's many valuable resources. Ocean Pollution is a Broad term that encpompasses any and all foregin matter that directly or indirectly makes its way into the ocean. This includes everything from the extreme: oil spills, Toxic Waste dumping and industrial dumping-- to the small scael: human activities and basic carelessness. Because the oceans and all other water bodies are invariably, somehow connected, and because they account for 3/4 of the Earth's surface, they are an ideal method of transportation for pollution, allowing the rapid spread of seemingly far away toxins into a river near you! It is increasingly important that we educate ourselves as to what, exactly, ocean pollution is, so that we can identify the causes at their source and take action in small and large ways, and hopefully, prevent this terrible form of pollution from getting any worse than it is today.
"Oceans." Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 May 2014.
The ocean is an abundant source of life. It is home to thousand of different creatures, provides a great source of food, and provides the earth with about one half of the oxygen needed to sustain life. (National Geographic) Pollution especially plastic, is a catastrophic problem. Ironically plastic, which is a material designed to last forever is generally used for things we tend to throw away. Every year about one hundred to two hundred billion pounds of plastic are manufactured. Only 31% of that plastic is actually recycled. Biomass packaging estimates 10% of that plastic ends up in the ocean annually. About 20% of it coming from ships and other platforms, and the other 80% coming from land derived sources, such as international garbage dumping, winds or tides either way it finds its way to the ocean.(Biomass Packaging Co., et al)
...an ecosystems balance. As research is being done to protect sea life, more can be done. With minimal funds, and low awareness around the world, the need for protection of the ocean is of most importance.
Climate change and Global Warming are out of control. This means that, no matter what policies, processes or actions are implemented, the Earth as we know it will never be the same again. There is significant evidence to support this hypothesis. The dilemma becomes whether we can limit the damage and adapt to a new status quo or not. Rising sea levels and the damage caused by this phenomenon has irreversible impacts on coastlines worldwide. Damage to sensitive reef systems cannot be fixed. This also has permanent impacts of the ecology not just of those immediate areas but also the ocean as a whole.
Oceans are such so vast that people underestimate the impact their actions —seeming so insignificant— have on them. Humans have by and large taken the oceans for granted; not considering how important a healthy ocean is to our survival. A popular mind-set is that the oceans are a bottomless supply of fish, natural resources, and an infinite waste dump. There are myriad reasons why the oceans should be saved and the most obvious one is marine life. With 71% of the Earth being covered by water, it is obvious that sea creatures are predominant form of life, making up 80% of the species of life on Earth. However, as important as marine life is, that is not the only reason why saving the oceans is crucial. The ocean floor provides natural resources such as, oil, natural gas, petroleum, minerals, medications, and ingredients for foods and products. The economic benefits of the oceans are huge and significant, as well. Fishing and fish products have provided employment to 38 million people and have generated about $124 billion in economic benefits. However, oceans are on the verge of crisis, marine life, natural resources, transportation, the economy, and important ingredients are at risk due to overfishing, pollution, and acidification. Thus, in this essay I will argue that, oceans are not impervious to human activity and threatening the health of the ocean threatens the health of humanity, since oceans key to our survival.
“Ocean overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. The earliest overfishing occurred in the early 1800s when humans, seeking blubber for lamp oil, decimated the whale population.” (overfishing) By the mid 1900’s common fish such as Atlantic Cod, Herring, and California Sardines were on the brink of extinction due to overharvesting. In the 20th century international efforts were focused on harvesting vitamin rich food at an affordable price. Therefore an international rise in fish occurred. In 1989 90 million tons of fish and various bycatch were taken from the ocean. Since 1989 fish populations have not been able to rebound therefore harming the environment, and the economy. A scientific study in 2003 reported “industrial fishing had reduced the number of large ocean fish to just 10 percent of their pre-industrial population.” (overfishing) With the collapse of these once large fish populations fishermen have started to fish in deeper waters. With commercial fleets fishing deeper into the ocean the balance of the oceans biological system is beginning to become upset. A 2006 study reporte...
About 70% of the earth is water and 96.5 of that water is said to be in the ocean [Climate Change, Para 1]. On earth there are many different ecosystems and each contains its own flora and fauna. Among the many ecosystems there is the aquatic ecosystem which includes: wetlands, rivers, lakes, estuaries and the ocean. The Ocean Biome also known as the Marine Biome, is one of the most unique ecosystems ever, because of the variety of life in the different sea zones. Unfortunately, mankind has not been very cautious of his actions and not much has been done to solve the problems that the ocean faces. Over the past few years many sea animals have been gone extinct due to extreme conditions caused by humans. The Marine Ecosystem is eroding as contamination continues to arise, therefore more restrictions need to be enforced to protect and preserve the Marine Ecosystem.
The ocean is very mysterious, there is much knowledge that the world does not even know about the ocean. Historically, ocean pollution has always been a tremendous problem but each year it increases drastically. Trash is really hurting not only the ocean but also ocean life environment. Ships can release oil spills into the ocean that can drastically hurt animal life. There are many of organizations attempting to help stop all of this trash from affecting more the world. Wildlife in the ocean is being polluted and some even killed. Most people think that this is not a big problem when in reality it is.
"Endangered Species and Habitats." Climate Change: The Effects on Ocean Animals. New England Aquarium, n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. .
Toufexis Anastasia, Andrea Dorfman, Eugene Linden, and Edwin M. Reingold. "The Dirty Seas Threatened by Rising Pollution, the Oceans Are Sending out an SOS." Time 132.5 (1988): 1-8. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 16 Apr. 2014.