Discuss the causes effect and control measures of marine pollution
Answers
Marine pollution refers to the contamination or presence of pollutants in oceans and seas. The word ‘marine’ comes from the Latin word for ‘sea’ and it is related to similar words, such as ‘mariner’.
Causes/Sources of Marine Pollution
1. Toxic chemicals in water.
Chemical runoff from industry can really endanger marine life. Industrial waste pumped into the sea, household cleaners poured down the sink, and even chemicals in the atmosphere (for instance due to the discharge of industrial wastes through factory chimneys) that dissolve into the sea can pollute our oceans significantly.
2. Oil spillages.
This is usually an accidental form of industrial dumping, whereby leaks in oil tankers cause vast quantities of oil to pour into the ocean. Accidental oil spills can devastate marine life.
Effects of Marine Pollution
1. Oxygen depletion.
Seawater is full of dissolved oxygen, however decomposing sewage and other biomatter in oceans can result in a condition known as ‘hypoxia’ or oxygen depletion. This makes it hard for oxygen loving marine life – plants, fish and animals – to survive in the oceans.
2. Higher acidity.
Toxic chemicals make our oceans more acidic. Again, this makes them poisonous to marine life and causes harm to fish and marine mammals as well as marine plants and corals.