Journal of Marine Science: Research & Development
Open Access

Marine Pollution is also called as Ocean pollution. Oceans are the largest water bodies in the earth planet. From the few centuries the human activities have affected the marine life on the earth’s oceans. Marine pollution is spreading harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial and agricultural waste and chemical particles into the ocean.

80% of marine pollution is affected by the land based activities. From plastic bags to pesticides, the most of the waste material we produce on land eventually reaches the oceans, either through the dusting or wastage comes from drains and rivers. This includes

Oil:

Oil spills cause huge damage to the marine environment - but in fact are responsible for only around 12% of the oil entering the seas each year. According to a study by the US National Research Council, 36% comes down from drains and rivers as waste and flowing from cities and industry.

Fertilizers:

Fertilizer flowing from farms and lawns is a huge problem for coastal areas. The extra nutrients can the cause eutrophication - flourishing of algae blooms that deplete the water's dissolved oxygen and suffocate other marine life

Toxic metals in the soil can destroy behaviour, reproduction, and growth in marine life living organisms. Not all sources of contamination in the ocean come from the oil, trash and solid wastes.

The dumping of radioactive waste from nuclear reactors, industrial race such as heavy metals, acids and drained sewage are also heavy contributors to the pollution.

The plastic wastage is entered into the ocean the soil gets polluted releases the Carbon dioxide increases it affects the plant organisms and other living systems like mammals, fisheries, vertebrates and sponges etc. are facing threat to their lives.

The chemicals are also entered into the ocean form land based activities. Tiny animals at the bottom of food chain that means plankton in the oceans absorb the chemicals as they feed.

Excessive nutrients from the sewage outfalls and agricultural runoff have to the low number of oxygen areas called as dead zones where most marine lives can’t survive resulting in collapse of some ecosystem. Pesticides also affect the food chain directly.

More amount plastic in the sea comes from the land based sources. Metallic elements have a relatively high density and toxic or poisonous at low concentrations. Examples are mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic etc.

The chemicals are also entered into the ocean form land based activities. Tiny animals at the bottom of food chain that means plankton in the oceans absorb the chemicals as they feed.

Ocean covers earth’s surface about 70% and play an important role in the chemical and biological balance of life on the earth. These are rich with the marine sources like minerals, oils and marine life and the sea food supplies meet a food requirement of the world’s population.

If the marine life affected by the pollution, if they carry pollutants in its biomass the human population may get damaged impact while consuming such resources. Hence it is necessary to aware about the marine pollution and to protect the marine water from the pollutants substances. It is necessary to prevent and control the pollution. Let us save our oceans and the huge marine ecosystem.