Marine pollution is a global problem that affects humans and marine animals and organisms alike. It occurs everywhere, not just in the oceans, but on the beaches as well. Everyone is to blame for it, therefore it is everyone’s responsibility to fix it. Although there are many different kinds of marine pollution such as oil spills, noise pollution, and chemical pollution, the type of pollution that affects the most organisms is litter and debris. Litter and debris gets into the ocean because of pollution on the beaches, shipwrecks, and even litter that is in rivers which eventually flow into the ocean. The weather conditions like rain and wind can affect the way litter gets into the ocean as well. Once the litter gets into the ocean, it becomes a lethal object to animals and organisms.
The litter most commonly found is plastic, glass, fishing nets, and Styrofoam. The plastic bags in the ocean can be mistaken by animals for squid or jellyfish. After having eaten a bag, the animal’s stomach can be clogged up, leaving the animal feeling hungry, when it will then die of starvation. Animals can also die by ingesting a broken piece of glass that appears to them as a fish because they are attracted to shiny objects. This glass can cut their throats, stomachs, or intestines leaving them to die. Fishing nets is one of the most dangerous way an animal can die from the litter and debris. Fishing nets that have been dropped by fishing boats can strangle animals, or trap them, leaving them to die. This is called “ghost fishing.” Other things like balloons and cigarette butts can kill animals because of how they mistake them for food.
Not only do animals die from mistaking objects to be food, but they also die because of the pollutants they absorb from the way plastic and Styrofoam biodegrades. Although Styrofoam biodegrades, plastic doesn’t- it photodegrades. Photodegration is when the plastic breaks down into little pieces because of the sun. This can also affect humans since we eat fish, who ingest pollutants.
Humans are affected by litter in the ocean not only by pollutants though. Surprisingly, pollution in the ocean and beaches affects the economy, a lot or a little, depending on where the litter is. If the beach is really dirty, then it will not be a popular tourist site, losing money for the local businesses. It also loses money for the taxpayers in states with beaches, like California. Taxpayers in California pay, overall, one billion dollars for taxes every year. If there was less pollution, people would not have to pay as much.
One situation in the North Pacific though, might raise the taxes for people everywhere because of how it will take so long to clean up. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean is a Texas-sized pile of trash floating around in the ocean. This goes under the water as well, because there is so much trash, kind of making it a big trash island. This not only destroys the habitat of many marine animals, but it also blocks the organisms closer to the bottom of the ocean from getting the sunlight they need for photosynthesis, killing them. This patch of garbage can not be cleaned up by one country specifically because of how much there is, and because of how it’s from many country’s waste.
Although there are many problems with trash in the ocean, there are also many groups, organizations, and companies dedicated to fixing this global problem. Organizations that rescue injured animals such as ones that accept donations toward “adopting a seal” help seals recover by paying for their food and medicine. There are also many local groups who host beach clean ups. I would recommend everyone partake in a beach clean-up, and so to refrain from littering. This global problem may not be able to be fixed globally, but on a local scale if everyone pitches in, can definitely be calmed down.
