#stopcoastalpollution

Stop marine Pollution.

How does marine pollution Occur?

Since the ocean forms 71% of the earth’s surface, most of the pollutants in the atmosphere fall on it. In recent decades, however, there is in addition a huge amount of direct marine pollution caused by human activities. 

Industrial discharges and agricultural run-off (about 70 trillion litres a year) containing pesticides, fertilizers, and various toxic chemicals find their way to the ocean. Treated and untreated human and other domestic waste. Treated and untreated human and other domestic waste (about 6 million tonnes a year) end up in the ocean with all their contaminants. In fact, sewage remains the largest source of contamination of the coastal and marine environment. 

The oil industry contributes deadly pollution through leaks, spills, and cleaning of tankers. 

Nitrogen input into the ocean has been rapidly increasing due to agricultural runoff, atmospheric deposition, and loss of natural interceptors like coastal wetlands, coral reefs, and mangroves. 

The result is greater marine and coastal eutrophication. Blooms of toxic or otherwise undesirable phytoplankton are increasing in frequency, intensity, and geographic distribution. Such blooms or red tides greatly affect fisheries, aquaculture, and tourism. 

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), which spread through the atmosphere, are found everywhere in the ocean. POPs cause reproductive, immunological, and neurological problems in marine organisms and possibly in humans. Another concern is the increasing amounts of non-biodegradable waste like plastic articles and nets that float in the ocean. Large numbers of birds, turtles, and mammals are killed by entanglement in or ingestion of such waste. 

Human activities have changed sediment flows into coasts and the ocean. Areas like deltas that need sediments do not get enough, whereas coral reefs are smothered by them.

Chemicals in oil kill many marine organisms and coral reefs. Other chemicals form a black layer on the surface that coat the feathers of birds and the fur of marine mammals. They die or drown unless rescued and treated. Heavier components sink to the bottom and kill organisms like crabs and mussels or make them unfit for human consumption. When the oil spill reaches the coast, it destroys fishing activities and tourism.

The 2014 UNEP Report on ‘Valuing Plastic’ include these findings: 

Plastic is the most common type of marine litter, comprising up to 80% of total waste in marine litter surveys. Most comes from land-based sources, with marine-based activities such as shipping, cruise lines, and fishing accounting for the remainder. 

10 to 20 million tonnes of plastic is finding its way into the world’s ocean each year, costing approximately US$ 13 billion per year in environmental damage to marine eco-systems. This includes financial losses incurred by fisheries and tourism as well as time spent cleaning up beaches. 

Over two-thirds of plastic litter ends up on the seabed with half of the reminder washed up on beaches and the other half floating on or under the surface. 

Levels of litter in the ocean are increasing in spite of efforts to control the problem.

Industry bodies, businesses, governments, civil society and international institutions are recognizing the magnitude of the issue and need to tackle it. Many of them have joined UNEP’s Global Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML) and the global plastic associations have signed a declaration to develop solutions to marine litter.  

Large areas of the ocean are now littered with plastic debris. One such area is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

DID YOU KNOW?

How Bad is coastal pollution?

With the inexorable movement of the world’s population towards the coastal areas, the pollution of the ocean nearer the shores has reached alarming proportions. Thousands of tonnes of sewage and industrial effluents are directly discharged into the ocean in many parts of the world. 

A few years ago, shrimp aquaculture was taken up on a large scale on the Indian coast. This industry requires fresh water as well as sea water and uses heavy doses of antibiotics. Within a short time, the effluents from the shrimp farms polluted large areas. The local soil and ground water were affected. Ultimately, diseases and court orders put a stop to coastal aquaculture, but the industry flourishes in inland areas.