The increasing human population is having negative effects on ocean health. While populations increase, ocean pollution increases as well. This effects not only ocean health negatively, but human health in turn as well. The more people there are, the more trash is ending up in our oceans. Much of the trash that ends up in the oceans comes from ships and beaches. Plastic bags, glass bottles, and tin cans are few of the things that enter our ocean; and may take up to centuries to degrade. Not only do the chemicals in these plastics leak into the water, but they also harm ocean life upfront as well. Many animals either consume or get entangled in the trash floating in the water. In fact, plastic alone kills 100,000 sea turtles and birds per year ("Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health"). The plastic also releases toxins that harms the health of fish as well. It is also statistically proven that while population rises, ocean health decreases. In the 20th century, human population drastically increased from 1.5 billion to 6 billion. By the end of the century, countless …show more content…
In order to produce high amounts of successful crop, farmers began to use higher amounts of stronger chemicals. As was expected, the chemicals wound up in rivers that flow into bays and thus the ocean. It was these toxins that produced algae blooms that cut off oxygen and choked the animals beneath the water. One of the most significant examples of where this has happened is in our very own Chesapeake Bay. Once teeming with oysters, it has now been reduced to 1% of its original population ("Overpopulation and the Ocean." Californians For Population Stabilization). Lack of filter feeders fished by humans in response to high demands has led to buildup of algae both naturally and artificially (toxins). Without filter feeders, the algae is allowed to build up and cut off
The anchovies are then eaten by tertiary consumers, which are the bigger fish. The last link in the food chain are humans. We then eat the bigger fish (Food Web). Now, if the algae and bay grass population decreases, then all of the other organisms population in the
Prior to industrialization, the forests used to serve as buffer zones from the farms to naturally sift out much of the excess nutrients. With the growth of population, farms, and factories, thousands of acres of forest has been leveled, eliminating the natural barrier. Along with the with forest loss, the use of pesticides and chemicals has degraded the water so much that the Bay is currently on the Environmental Protection Agency 's "dirty waters" index.
Ocean Pollution DBQ Did you know that every year, eight million metric tons of plastic is dumped or somehow ends up in the ocean (Doc. 1)? The following sentences will talk about what people are doing to pollute the oceans and how they are making the pollution better. Humans are the biggest threat to animals in the ocean because they litter so much (OI). Sometimes, people litter without even knowing they're littering.
In Island Packet’s article “How plastic almost killed this Lowcountry sea turtle” by Delayna Earley, readers are informed about the discovery of a dead sea turtle that was recently treated at the South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston, South Carolina. The image is effective in responding to the rhetorical situation in which plastic debris are proven to be harmful to marine life and so articles like Earley’s are written to inform others about how damaging plastic is. The exigence of the article is about how plastic pollution is harmful for the ocean. Throughout the years, there has been an increase in the advocacy being mindful of plastic waste and on using less plastic materials.
Also, people can come every year to beautiful beaches to relax under the sun. However, there are facts lot of trash are left on the beach. In this essay, I wi argue that people throw trash into the ocean, and this is very bad for the marine life and people's health. People throw trash into the ocean. When people go to the beach and getting on a cruise, a lot of ocean trash occurs.
As the rate of plastic production exceeds the rate we get rid of it; it will soon overtake our oceans. In 2010 alone, it was estimated that over 300 million tons of new plastics were produced around the world, (QTD. By UC Davis USA on YouTube). Many oceans from North America and Japan are being polluted by our carelessness and are causing our marine life to suffer. Marine mammals such as seals are being found entangled in plastic fishnets and several drown.
“ Natural gas industry has been identified as a major source of water pollution “ ( source 1 ). This quote from source 1 explains how out of all the ways of polluting the oceans, oil is always one of the worst. “ 8 million metric tons of plastic trash enters the sea from land every year “ ( source 4 ). This quote from source number 4 explains how every year tons and tons of plastic from land, gets into the oceans and continues to pollute. Garbage is polluting the oceans so much that the water is getting so bad, people are getting ill from drinking
“The world produces 200 billion IB, of plastic a year which 10% ends up in the ocean.” (Kester. The world book encyclopedia volume 15.) This sharp increase in plastic entering our waters harms marine life. In the ocean, plastic debris causes damage and kills fish, seabirds and marine mammals.
To really comprehend the problem you must first understand ph levels in the ocean water. The ph scale runs from 0 to 14, with 0 being the most acidic, 14 being the most basic and seven is considered neutral. Ocean water had been about 8.2 on the ph scale and has decreased to 8.1. Although this doesn’t seem like a big change, even this slight shift could damage our ocean environment. Oceans absorb about 25% of the carbon dioxide humans produce each year.
Marine animals around the pacific ocean are suffering from the plastic in the ocean. According to research, “Every year, 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans, and that figure could increase by tenfold over the next 10 years if actions are not taken. . .” (Sifferlin 1).
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.
2006 ; Law et al. 2012). These burdens put a strain on the internal organs of an animal, compromise immune responses (Bustamante et al. 2003) and inhibit fetal development (Law et al. 2012). Ingested plastic has been found in the stomachs of various stranded cetacean species, small micro-plastic pieces are suspended in ocean water columns and mistaken as prey by fish which are then ingested by cetaceans, larger plastics such as polythene have also been found ingested directly and can cause blockages so animals slowly starve to death (Baulch & Perry 2014).
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
Marine pollution such as presence of organic matter in the ocean can result in the condition known as hypoxia or oxygen depletion and this can have adverse effect on the marine life including plant and animals and fish. Death of these fish can result in loss of millions of US dollars that are generate from the fishing industry. Marine pollution can also result in presence of foul smell resulting from the decomposing sewage being directed to the ocean and this has the effects to hinder recreational activities taking place in the sea as well as cause discomfort and breathing problem to the surrounding population (Laura, 11).marine pollution can also result in danger to human health. The human swimmers and water sport lovers can become endangered by swimming in the polluted marine waters (Laura,
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.