The oceans represent more than 70% of the earth’s surface and house 97% of the water that exists on the planet. Due to the large volume they occupy, about 99% of the total land volume, these large salt water masses represent the home of thousands of plant species, animals, bacteria and other microorganisms. They are also an important source of natural resources (energy, food, minerals, etc.).
Unfortunately, the human being has found another way to get the benefit of these immense aquatic spaces, to turn them into the new human landfills which translates into the pollution of the oceans. If you want to know more information about what is the marine pollution, its causes and consequences In this ecology article, we explain it in detail.
What is marine pollution
Marine pollution It is the result of ocean pollution. Until the 70s there was the popular belief that due to the large amount of water in the oceans, it had the ability to dilute all pollutants without generating consequences in the middle.
During those years the seas were poured all kinds of chemicals, sewage No treatmentand even radioactive wastehoping that they would disappear in the deep blue.
However, far from diluting these pollutants have accumulated both in the water and in the trophic chains and, in addition, they have managed to distribute throughout the planet reached places where human activity is not as present, as the Player of the Marianas or Antarctica.
Types of Marine Pollution
Before starting to talk about the specific causes that lead us to the contamination of marine and coastal spaces, we will number what the types of marine pollution that existregardless of the causes that motivate them.
In this way, we can meet the following types of marine pollution:
- Toxins
- Acidification
- Eutrophication
- Acoustics
- Plastic
Causes of marine pollution
The Causes of the pollution of the oceans and the seas or marine pollution are diverse and numerous. Below are those that cause a greater impact on salt water or marine ecosystems.
Pesticides and herbicides
The first of the causes of marine pollution has to do with pesticides. Although they are mainly used on land they can reach the seas through rivers and groundwater. They can decrease populations of Phytoplankton, seaweed and marine plants causing a decrease in dissolved oxygen of water.
In addition, they can bioaccumulate in the tissues and be ascending in the trophic chain, as well as causing alterations in behavior and reproduction, and producing damage to the immune, endocrine and neurological system of animals, whether crustaceans, fish, mammals or birds.
Discover more about what phytoplankton is in this article that we recommend.
Fertilizers and detergents
Both fertilizers and detergents are other causes of contamination of coastal marine spaces. Both cause the Water nutrient enrichmentwhat we know as eutrophication, as they are mostly composed of nitrogen (fertilizers) and phosphorus (both fertilizers and detergents).
When they reach the masses of water the algae that live in them begin to grow and They form a biomass layer which prevents the entry of sunlight and the renewal of oxygen and therefore by making life in these eutrophized areas.
Chemicals
In the ocean all kinds of chemicals can be found as a result of intentional spills or transport from the continents and the coasts. This fan extends from heavy metals and radioactive waste from industries to medications, drugs and hormones among others.
The effects of these substances are Death due to poisoning In the most extreme cases, the appearance of malformations, different metabolic and behavioral disorders and bioaccumulation in the trophic chain being able to reach us again.
Hydrocarbons
They reach the ocean through spills, the drainage of continental waters or other human activities (fishing boats, boats, cruises, etc.). When an oil discharge occurs, The animalswhether fish or birds, They die asphyxiated.
This also prevents the entry of sunlight and components from its decomposition can affect the behavior and physiology of organisms.
Sewage
In many cases the wastewater of the populations and industries are poured without any control. This favors eutrophication Due to the enrichment of waters with organic matter and nutrients, as well as the entry of chemicals and even microorganisms and parasites, destabilizing aquatic communities and increasing the level of water toxicity.
We tell you what the wastewater is and how they are classified in the following Ecology Verde.
Plastics and microplastics
These are the most polluting elements on the planet and one of the causes of the most widespread marine pollution. Plastics can cause the following in animals by getting trapped in them:
- Wounds
- Malformations
- Amputations
Large plastics, such as bags, straws or bottles, They are confused with food by animals. Its intake causes the obstruction of the respiratory tract being able to die by suffocation, in other cases they are entangled in the stomach and the intestines so the animal ends up dying by not being able to feed or be able to expel them.
Microplastics (plastics less than 5 mm) such as nurrs (raw materials for plastics manufacturing), glitter, cosmetics microspheres and other small plastic fragments have been found in digestive devices of fish, birds and even humans as a result of their movement by the trophic chain.
The problem of plastics goes much further, being organic compounds, they are able to absorb the toxic of the environment so Once ingested they accumulate in the tissues and move through the food chain.
Ghost Networks
Another cause of ocean pollution is due to those Networks that are lost or thrown into the sea. When drifting, animals such as turtles, birds, dolphins and sharks become entangled in them becoming their executioners. They can cause great wounds, lacerations and death because animals cannot move and escape.
Noise pollution
The sound from Sónares, submarines, ships and oil and mining facilities can spread over kilometers by the marine environment. This directly affects large mammals such as whales, marsopas or dolphins that use ultrasound to migrate, feed, reproduce or communicate.
Consequences of marine pollution
The consequences of marine pollution They are very diverse and they are already being noticed. Therefore, we will review which are the most prominent below. In this way, you can be much more aware of the subject.
Plastic islands
Perhaps it is the consequences of the most obvious marine pollution. As a result of plastic pollution, they have emerged Islands completely plastic. The large Pacific garbage patch was discovered in 1997 and occupies a surface greater than that of Spain, France and Germany together, is located between Hawaii and California and it is estimated that its weighs would amount to 80,000 metric tons.
In addition, in recent years several more patches have been detected, another in the south of the Pacific Ocean near the coasts of Chile and Peru, and another in the north of the Atlantic Ocean near the US coast. These plastic islands They are maintained by the existence of vortices Created by oceanic turns, a type of current of circular water.
In this other article we explain what the plastic islands are and how they form.
Eutrophication and lack of oxygen
As we have explained before, a consequence of wastewater and other chemical products is eutrophication. Due to the proliferation of algae, oxygen dissolved in water is exhausted, so almost no organism can survive in these anoxia conditions.
In addition, in these circumstances they can Free other toxic substances such as nitrogen oxides, more powerful greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. These eutrophic areas are known as dead areas, among the more than 400 estimated, the Gulf of Mexico stands out.
Ocean acidification
On the other hand, another of the consequences of marine pollution is that industries doublely contribute to oceanic pollution. Not only with the waste they generate, but also with the Greenhouse gas emissions that are causing an acidification of our oceans. We tell you how to reduce greenhouse gases below.
Naturally, CO2 dissolves in ocean water by releasing protons as a result of said reaction causing a decrease in water pH and therefore a acidification of it.
This acidification affects calcification processes, making it difficult to formation of calcium carbonate. This has resulted in the bleaching of corals and the weakness of calcareous structures that protect and shape mollusks, crustaceans and different microorganisms (diatoms, cocolitophoreal, dems).
Loss of biodiversity due to marine pollution
Finally, it must be indicated as one of the worst consequences of marine pollution the loss of biodiversity, since in the end all these agents (plastics, chemicals, metals) and processes (eutrophication, acidification) negatively affect marine life.
Unfortunately, species that are suffering more the consequences of marine pollution are the species that are already in danger of extinction, to which more pressure is added.
Do not forget that many of these species that are disappearing They are those that are at the top of the trophic pyramid, such as large predators (orcs, sharks, turtles, seals) and their disappearance would trigger negative effects on communities.
As a final reflection, the need for create a general consciousness of ocean conservation and consider them, not as our landfills, but as sources of health and well -being. We must not forget that the human being has a very close relationship with the seas and that is why in the end everything that is thrown into them will be returned to us. So if we care about our health, we should also care about the health of the oceans.
If you want to read more articles similar to Marine pollution: causes and consequenceswe recommend that you enter our pollution category.
