Pollution in Marine Life
Ali Shah Khan and Farrukh Rafiq
There is evidence that the oceans have suffered at the hands of mankind for mill ennia, as far back as Roman times. But recent studies show that degradation, particularly of shoreline areas, has accelerated dramatically in the past three centuries as industrial discharge and runoff from farms and coastal cities has increased. Pollution is the introduction of harmful contaminants that are outside the norm for a given ecosystem. Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergents, oil, sewage, plastics, and other solids. Many of these pollutants collect at the ocean's depths, where they are consumed by small marine organisms and introduced into the global food chain. Scientists are even discovering that pharmaceuticals ingested by humans but not fully processed by our bodies are eventually ending up in the fish we eat.
Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far upstream from coastlines. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas. These excess nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist. Scientists have counted some 400 such dead zones around the world.
OTHER WAYS
Oil is dangerous to marine life in several ways. If Marine animals get oil on their fur or feathers, then they may be unable to fly or move properly, maintain body temperature, or feed. The oil washes up on beaches and contaminates nesting areas as well as feeding grounds.
Skin irritations, eye irritation, blindness, lung and liver problems can all impact marine life of all kinds over a long period of time. Illnesses that occur as a direct result of exposure to the toxins found in oil can make animals sick for years. Oil contaminates can cause low fertility and poor birth survival rates that have an adverse effect on the marine population in the polluted area.
In addition, oil affects coral reefs in a negative way. These reefs are not only beautiful, they provide a habitat for many sea creatures. Oil also clogs up the gills of the fish that live there and suffocates them. When oil floats on the surface, it blocks sunlight and prevents marine plants from utilizing the light for photosynthesis. These plants are an important part of both the food chain and the reef habitats found in the oceans.
Many ocean pollutants are released into the environment far upstream from coastlines. Nitrogen-rich fertilizers applied by farmers inland, for example, end up in local streams, rivers, and groundwater and are eventually deposited in estuaries, bays, and deltas. These excess nutrients can spawn massive blooms of algae that rob the water of oxygen, leaving areas where little or no marine life can exist. Scientists have counted some 400 such dead zones around the world.
OTHER WAYS
Oil is dangerous to marine life in several ways. If Marine animals get oil on their fur or feathers, then they may be unable to fly or move properly, maintain body temperature, or feed. The oil washes up on beaches and contaminates nesting areas as well as feeding grounds.
Skin irritations, eye irritation, blindness, lung and liver problems can all impact marine life of all kinds over a long period of time. Illnesses that occur as a direct result of exposure to the toxins found in oil can make animals sick for years. Oil contaminates can cause low fertility and poor birth survival rates that have an adverse effect on the marine population in the polluted area.
In addition, oil affects coral reefs in a negative way. These reefs are not only beautiful, they provide a habitat for many sea creatures. Oil also clogs up the gills of the fish that live there and suffocates them. When oil floats on the surface, it blocks sunlight and prevents marine plants from utilizing the light for photosynthesis. These plants are an important part of both the food chain and the reef habitats found in the oceans.