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POLLUTION IN THE OCEANS: FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW — (shutterstock)

The oceans and seas, which account for more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, are key to the health of the planet and its inhabitants. However, increasing pollution and the climate crisis are endangering marine ecosystems, and thus threatening biodiversity.

One of the ways in which the oceans contribute to the environmental balance is through the production of oxygen to the planet, even more than forests and jungles. According to National Geographic, phytoplankton generate between 50% and 85% of the oxygen released into the atmosphere each year.

In fact, if the planet has not warmed more, it is also because the oceans have absorbed more than 93% of the extra heat produced by greenhouse gases, according to Greenpeace. However, the activity of various industries (from oil to fashion) is threatening the delicate balance in the seas.

In recent years, concerns have been raised about the increase of microplastics in the water. But pollution comes from many different sources, even in tasks as simple as washing clothes. That’s why we’ve put together some important facts about ocean pollution xnxx.

MARINE POLLUTION IN FACTS

PLASTIC: ENEMY NUMBER 1

According to the UN Environment Programme, every year 8 million tonnes of plastic waste ends up in the ocean. At this rate, by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. Furthermore, the amount of rubbish in the sea is so large that several “plastic islands” have already formed.

There are five in total, but the largest is in the Pacific, which is twice the size of Texas. It is estimated to be made up of about 1.8 billion pieces. Although there are several projects to clean up this island, which was discovered in 1985, it still remains, and is growing by the day. China, Indonesia and the United States are among the biggest contributors to the sea’s pollution.

However, it is not only the plastic that is visible that is of concern. Microplastics, which are the waste that degrade to millimetres, are ingested by animals and end up in the human food chain, which can have significant health risks.

NOT ALL POLLUTION IS VISIBLE

In addition to the fact that 70% of litter ends up on the seabed, making it very difficult to remove, there are other “invisible” forms of pollution, such as noise pollution. Noise generated by shipping can cause damage to species such as jellyfish and anemones.

On the other hand, much of the rubbish, including oil, that ends up in the sea is not from events such as spills, but from everyday activities such as washing clothes. According to several studies, synthetic fibres do not decompose. Also, oil spills only account for 12% of this material in our oceans, three times as much is carried through drains, roads and rivers.

DEAD ZONES, A SILENT PROBLEM

So-called “dead zones” are those with a very low concentration of oxygen, which means that very few species can live in them. According to the journal Science, the size of these zones has quadrupled since the mid-20th century.

In 2017, oceanographers discovered a dead zone the size of New Jersey, the largest known so far. The causes are believed to include climate change, as well as pollution from nutrients used in agriculture. The growth of these areas, which exist naturally in the ocean, can lead to species extinction.

As we can see, between climate change, pollution, human activity and the excessive use of plastic, the oceans are in grave danger. Action must be taken to stop these changes before the consequences become irreversible.

VIDEO

THE PACIFIC OCEAN IS IN DANGER — THE PACIFIC OCEAN

In front of him, we are insignificant. tiny. Precisely for this reason, it seems hard to believe all the damage we have done and continue to do to the Pacific Ocean with each passing day.

Species close to the danger of extinction, ecosystems in imminent collapse, pollution increasing in proportions difficult to imagine; These are some of the consequences that human activity, with its carelessness and lack of awareness, have caused.

As part of the commitment that every human being has to solve this problem, today we share key data about how and why our Pacific Ocean is in danger.

PLASTIC, PLASTIC AND MORE PLASTIC

It hurts to admit, but there is nothing new or recent about this wake-up call. Since the 1960s, scientists around the world have been warning of the alarming amount of plastic in our oceans. According to studies of the time, at least 75% of albatross chick carcasses died or were affected by plastic fragments in their bodies, just to give an example.

Turtles and seahorses are also among the most affected species, dying dozens year after year from suffocation with various plastic debris in the sea (bags, plastic rings for cans, xxx, etc.).

PLASTIC, PLASTIC AND MORE PLASTIC — The new and gigantic net that captures plastics in the ocean (El Universo)

And perhaps the scariest part of the case is to think that these drownings are not something occasional or an exception to the rule. They are a frequent and horrendous reality, which is made possible thanks to the 15 million tons of plastic garbage that accumulates on coasts and rivers.
A number that, moreover, seems to double by 2025.

ISLANDS OF GARBAGE

Plastic is not the only human waste that endangers our planet’s marine ecosystem. Every year, millions and millions of tons of garbage are thrown into the sea, polluting the oceans and destroying marine life in its path.
In the year 2000, for example, Captain Charles Moore discovered an island of 1.6 million square kilometers of plastic and other human waste off the coast of Valparaíso (in Chile). He named it “The Great Pacific Garbage Island”. At least 45% of its mass was made up of discarded fishing nets.

WILDLIFE DYING

After everything you’ve read so far, if you think that the worst thing we do to our ocean is waste in it… you’re wrong. Because yes, the countless garbage causes irreparable damage, but our true absolute sin is everything that we indiscriminately and uncontrollably take from it.

Every month, countless numbers of marine animals are removed from our ocean. Fish and other marine species are victims of overfishing, causing fractures in the food chain and the degradation of countless marine habitats.
Countries such as Canada, Japan, China, Australia and Indonesia are among the countries with this trend, due to few or no regulations that protect the marine ecosystem.

Painful as it sounds, this is just part of what humanity does to the ocean indiscriminately. What measures do you think are necessary to stop the deterioration of our Pacific Ocean?

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POLLUTION IN THE OCEANS: FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW