Let us see how we are drowning marine ecosystems in trash, noise, oil, and carbon emissions. Here we will know some facts about ocean pollution.
Covering more than 70 percent of our planet, oceans are among the earth’s most valuable natural resources. They govern the weather, clean the air, help feed the world, and provide a living for millions. They are also home to most of the life on earth, from microscopic algae to the blue whale, the largest animal on the planet. Yet we’re bombarding them with pollution. Here are some ocean pollution facts that everyone on our blue planet ought to know.
Scary Facts about Ocean Pollution
Ocean Acidification
When we burn fossil fuels, we pollute the oceans. Indeed, today’s seas absorb as much as a quarter of all man-made carbon emissions, which changes the pH of surface waters and leads to acidification. If not controlled, the surface waters of the ocean will become nearly 150 percent more acidic than they are now.
Watch the video to know ocean pollution facts in details –
Trash in the Ocean
The majority of the garbage that enters the ocean each year is plastic and here to stay. That’s because unlike other trash, the single-use grocery bags, water bottles, and containers, among million metric tons of the plastic items we toss, won’t biodegrade.
Ocean Noise
Sound waves travel farther and faster in the sea than they do in the air, and many marine mammals like whales and dolphins, and other sea creatures, rely on communication by sound to find food, mate, and navigate. But an increasing barrage of human-generated ocean noise pollution is altering the underwater acoustic landscape, harming and even killing marine species worldwide.
Offshore Drilling
The oil and gas industry’s routine operations emit toxic by-products, release high levels of greenhouse gases, and lead to thousands of spills in waters annually. That oil can linger for decades and do irreversible damage to the delicate marine ecosystems.
Ocean Pollution and You
Only celebrating World Ocean Day on 8th of June is not enough. The year 2020 is already suffering from a global health pandemic. And majority of gloves, masks, and PPEs are made of plastic. If these are not disposed off properly, it could result in an end to marine life. You can start by reducing water pollution and runoff at home, being more mindful of your plastic consumption, or organizing a cleanup of your local waterway.
So, imagine how much of the ocean is poluted. From the above facts about ocean pollution, we can imagine how it will effect our future. Check some related article on soil pollution.
