Ocean Pollution Causes

Ocean pollution, also referred to as marine pollution, is ocean water pollution caused due to dumping of industrial, agricultural, or residential waste into the vast ocean body. Oceans are large water bodies, which provide shelter to millions of marine animal and plant species. Ocean water pollution is a serious threat to the basic survival of these marine species owing to habitat destruction. Most of the causes of ocean pollution are land based, wherein human intervention is involved - either directly or indirectly. We humans do get affected by the same, but then we need to consider that we have a dominant role to play in polluting these oceans.

What Causes Ocean Pollution?

Discharge of crude oil, accidental or deliberate, is one of the major causes of pollution in the oceans. This happens in course of transportation of ships, when these ships discharge their waste in the ocean. Ocean pollution statistics give the gruesome picture of the hazard the marine life is facing. This problem is faced by all the oceans of the world. Transportation of vessels carrying various ores can also lead to pollution of the water body when these ore sediments are accidentally dumped in it.

Statistics reveal that approximately 45 percent of ocean water pollution is caused by marine transportation, while 32 percent is caused by loading, discharging, and flushing of oil tankers. On the other hand, the ocean pollution caused by natural seeps, which is the major natural pollutant, accounts to only 8 percent of total ocean pollution. Oil spills, which are estimated to be close to around 900,000 metric tons annually, are major pollutants of ocean water.

Another important cause of marine pollution is industrial waste dumping. This toxic waste contains various contaminants including mercury, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH). Garbage dumping, i.e. channeling of human waste into the ocean as a method of garbage treatment, is another major cause of ocean pollution, which can be attributed to sheer negligence on our part. It doesn't just end there. The polluted air, containing gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide also leads to ocean water pollution.

Its Effects on the Environment

Ocean pollution is hazardous for marine life. Oil spilled in oceans is disastrous for all forms of marine life including coral reefs, fish, and marine plants. Coral reefs are in fact the worst affected as excessive ocean pollution and global warming threaten to wipe them off the planet within a few more years. Ocean pollution leads to depletion of oxygen dissolved in water, which in turn makes it difficult for various sea animals to breathe underwater. Humans are not left out the hazardous effects of ocean pollution as marine life is a major source of food for humans.

Tips to Prevent Ocean Pollution

• Ensuring that there is no leakage of crude oil from tankers by regular monitoring of vessels by proper agencies.
• Declaring deliberate discharge of crude oil by vessels and industrial waste by industries on land as an offense with a significant penalty.
• Ensuring that garbage produced by humans is treated properly instead of just dumping it in the oceans.
• Ensuring that the amount of air pollution, which causes phenomena such as acid rain, is lessened if not totally curbed.
• Understanding the importance of marine life for us and making sure that we don't cause harm to them.

More importantly, rather than just talking about such measures, proper implementation at all the levels has to be ensured if we intend to make the crusade of 'clean oceans' successful.

We can't just leave the prevention part to the authorities, in fact, it's the steps at individual level will ensure that no further damage is caused. We need to understand that irrespective of what development we achieve in various sciences, success will always elude us when we take on nature.