Intro to Ocean Pollution.
It is no surprise that when environmental issues are discussed, pollution is generally one of the big ones, as it should be. When people think about pollution they think about trash, which is one of the most common forms, but there are many types of pollution (chemical, air, noise, and sound) but the one that seems to tug on my heartstrings the most is ocean pollution. (It may seem a little odd since I live in Kansas, nowhere near an ocean, but then again that could be why it intrigues me so much. Aquariums have always been really exciting to me and it makes me sad that one day aquariums may be the only way to see some of these animals.) Every year more than 1.4 billion pounds of trash gets into the world’s oceans. That’s a lot of trash!! Not to mention that doesn’t even include trash pollution that doesn’t end up in oceans. A lot of the trash that ends up in the oceans gets washed up onto the shores by waves and tides, sinks to the bottom of the ocean, or eating by animals who mistake it for food. There are two major sources of pollution nonpoint source pollution, that comes as a result of runoff and point source pollution, that comes from a single source, like an oil or chemical spill. Trash pollution that is the obvious source of pollution to the ocean that people think of when they think of pollution but in addition to the trash there are also chemicals that can get into the oceans and cause damage. Some of the fertilizers used by inland farmers get into the local streams and rivers and in turn end up in the ocean. This causes algae to overgrow, otherwise known as algal bloom. This might not sound like such a big deal, but it can cause a negative effect on the sea life. Large amounts of algae can sink and decompose in the water; the decomposition consumes oxygen and takes it away from the sea life in the area that need it to survive. In turn the sea life in the area eventually dies off or relocates to a new area, thus causing an aquatic desert.
It was once thought that the ocean was infinite. That there was nothing we could do to it that could ever cause any significant negative effects, and why not? Oceans are huge, when looking out into an ocean it never ends. Luckily, we now know that is not at all the case. There is evidence to show that the ocean has been taking a beating from mankind since Roman times. But in the last few decades the damage has accelerated dramatically mainly from industrial discharge and run off from farms.
If nothing changes we could potentially see the extinction of certain sea life. That’s a pretty powerful thought. Some sea life that we’ve all grown up knowing and loving, future generations might not even get the chance to even know, other than reading about it. Over the course of the semester I would be really interested to take a closer look at the species that are the most at risk for extinction, and what areas these species are located. It would also be interesting to look at the possibility for new creations of species because of rarities in finding mates of the same species.
The obvious effects of ocean pollution are on the aquatic life, and the ocean, but it also can have an effect on people, especially those who live near the ocean and use it as an essential source for food, and other parts of daily life. If certain species that locals rely on for food start to die off because of pollution there will be the obvious problem of food scarcity. Would this mean the locals would have find new sources of food, or would it mean the moving of entire islands of people to new locations? What would this do to the world’s food supply? All big questions I don’t know can truly be answered, because it’s a thought that’s almost uncomprehendable. It would also be interesting to look at the effects of pollution paired with the effects of erosions, due to other causes, of certain islands and how possible relocation due to both of these reasons would affect aquatic life. Because fishing helps regulate certain species population in the oceans.
Through this blog I hope to take a look at ocean pollution from an anthropological point of view using various approaches and readings that I learn about and discuss in class.
http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-marine-pollution/
http://www.education.noaa.gov/Ocean_and_Coasts/Ocean_Pollution.html
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