Govande 1

Ashlesha Govande

Mr. White

English 12AP-4

7 October 2016

Most people have seen the warnings about the effects of pollution in our environment,

whether it be through brochures, posters, or just common knowledge. We live in a world where

these warnings have become common, and even if everyone knows what pollution can do, we

look the other way when theres trash on the ground or plastic in the ocean. The effects of

pollution in the ocean, such as plastic, oil, and toxic wastes, can be detrimental to marine life and

humans alike. There are many ways to explain the cause and effects of this pollution such as the

amount of plastic debris, the harmful effect it has on animals, and some preventive measures that

have been taken to solve the problem.

There is an abundance of plastic pollution in remote areas of the ocean. In the past few

decades the global production of plastic has increased tremendously, and with it an increase in

pollution. Even though the exact distribution of plastic across all five oceans is unknown, there is

plenty of evidence seen through the death of organisms ranging from whales to small

invertebrates. The rapid production and high consumption rate of plastic is beginning to have a

visible effect on the five central oceans. Even though plastic materials are ideal for a wide range

of products, fragments of the plastic dumped into the ocean can last for thousands of years

(Cozar). It is not usually seen as big pieces of trash on the surface, most of it is particles less

than 1 cm that has been weathered down by solar radiation and wave movements. As the size

declines, many animals ingest the plastic and with it the harmful chemicals that are used to make

it. Many sources for plastic accumulation comes from direct dumping of litter in the sea and on
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land. This mega-debris accounts for tens and thousands of materials such as shoes, toys, boots,

and sports gear that were washed off of ships during transportation. The release of plastic in the

environment is the result of improper human behavior and improper waste management

(Barnes).

Humans are one of the main reasons for the major decline in biological diversity,

especially marine life, However, throughout the years there have been attempts to promote

conservation of the worlds oceans. The most significant legislation was the 1978 Protocol to the

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) which

addressed how ships prove to be a controllable source of pollution of the marine environment

(Derraik). The legislation was a good attempt but it is still widely ignores as ships are estimated

to discard 6.5 million tons of plastic each year (Johnson). Another way to reduce pollution is to

present the findings and research to schools, so that the promotion of conservation of the

environment starts at a young age. Having a good education in these topics can lead to change

and a widespread awareness (Brody). If the detrimental effects of pollution are taught at a young

age, bad habits can be changed from the beginning and students would be more willing to act

upon it.

Dumping waste into the ocean cleans up the land for humans, but it causes the destruction

of over a million species and their homes underwater. One of the most destructing agents for

aquatic ecosystems is pesticides. Pesticides affects all levels of the food chain from top to bottom

and much of it has to do with biomagnification and bioconcentration. These mechanisms are

explained by the studies that as smaller organisms are eaten by larger organisms, the

concentration of pesticides goes up at each increasing level (Islam). The ecological effects of

pesticides include death, cancers, and tumors for the organism. Another destructive material to
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animals is plastic bags and six pack plastic rings on soda. There are many cases of marine

animals eating plastic or getting tangled in plastic bags and eventually suffocating to death

(Eriksen).There are also reports of animals such as dolphins choking in the plastic circles that are

used to hold aluminum soda cans. This hazard can be prevented by the consumers, humans,

cutting each circle apart before throwing it away, so that when it is inevitably dumped in the

ocean no animal has to suffer because of it (Gordon).

As advancements continue and population grows there also has to be a growing concern

on the consequences that come out of it, such as pollution in the ocean. If the plastic production

and consumption cant slow down then the problem must be solved a different way to stop its

effects on the ocean. There should also be a continuing rise in awareness of pollution in places

like school and other communities. Humans share the Earth with the millions of other animal

species in the ocean and even if we cant see all of them, the effects of pollution continue to be

harmful.

Works Cited
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Barnes, David KA, et al. "Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global

environments." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

364.1526 (2009): 1985-1998.

Brody, Michael J. "Understanding of pollution among 4th, 8th, and 11th grade students." The

Journal of Environmental Education 22.2 (1991): 24-33.

Czar, Andrs, et al. "Plastic debris in the open ocean." Proceedings of the National Academy of

Sciences 111.28 (2014): 10239-10244.

Derraik, Jose GB. "The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review." Marine

pollution bulletin 44.9 (2002): 842-852.

Eriksen, Marcus, et al. "Plastic pollution in the world's oceans: more than 5 trillion plastic pieces

weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at sea." PloS one9.12 (2014): e111913.

Gordon, Joan, Environmentally Sound Carrier Package. IFI Claims Patent Services (1991):

21-16

Islam, Md Shahidul, and Masaru Tanaka. "Impacts of pollution on coastal and marine

ecosystems including coastal and marine fisheries and approach for management: a

review and synthesis." Marine pollution bulletin 48.7 (2004): 624-649.

Johnson, Scott W. "Deposition of trawl web on an Alaska beach after implementation of

MARPOL Annex V Legislation." Marine Pollution Bulletin 28.8 (1994): 477-481.