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Types of Ocean Pollution

There are many types of ocean pollution:

--There are the chemicals and fertilizers that flow down the rivers to the sea.

--There is the increase in acidity caused by CO2 emissions.

--There is the garbage that is discarded from ships on the oceans as well as the garbage that floats from shores of continents and islands.

--There are the periodic oil spills in the oceans and occasionally the huge natural disaster as seen in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dead Zones in the Ocean

There are now roughly 500 dead zones in the oceans around the world. They develop in coastal regions where large rivers enter the ocean. The rivers carry the excess chemical fertilizer used for crop production, etc. The run-off brings the fertilizer into rivers and thus into the oceans. Changing currents due to climate change are also contributing to these dead zones. Because of the fertilizer present in the water, the growth of plankton is over stimulated. Much more is being produced than there is sea-life to consume it. It dies off and then drops to the bottom and decays. The decay uses up the oxygen in the water. The amount of oxygen is severely depleted. In some areas there is virtually no oxygen which means that very little sea life exists in these areas. The water can even become somewhat viscous.

Acidification of the Oceans

The acidic level is increasing in all the oceans. The main contributors are the CO2 emissions into the air. These come from factories, automobiles and even the heating of our homes. The smoke goes up into the atmosphere and then either drifts back to earth or falls with the rain which generated the term ”acid rain”. The acidic level of lakes and rivers also increases for the same reason and eventually flows to the oceans. This compounds the increase in the acidic content of the sea-water changing the biological environment of the oceans and thus life itself.

Demise of Coral Reefs

The coral reefs are a complex eco system. They are being disrupted by overfishing, acidification, and climate change. Over fishing changes the ecological balance of the areas, in and around the coral reefs. The change in the ph level of the water disrupts the production of the coral. The increase of the temperature of the water is a critical element as well. All these factors work together in causing the reduction of the coral reefs.

Garbage in the Ocean

Added to the other types of ocean pollution there is increasing evidence of debris floating on the surface of the seas. There are huge areas of garbage that are sometimes referred to as islands of garbage. Of course the garbage is not only confined to the surface. The material that is too heavy to float ends up on the bottom. This foreign matter present in the environment disrupts fish and animal life.

Birds, fish and large sea creatures mistake plastics and other garbage for food. Plastics get into the animals' digestive systems. Plastics tend to absorb chemicals causing a concentration of toxins which goes up the animal chain. Larger creatures eat smaller ones and ultimately, some are consumed by humans. By this means, these toxins can end up in our bodies. For an in-depth discussion of these types of ocean pollution and related issues and more, read Sea-sick: The Global Oceans in Crisis, by Alanna Mitchell available from Amazon.

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Types of Ocean Pollution