Although our planet is called Earth, we must not forget that the oceans represent more than 70% of the earth's surface and are home to 97% of all the water on the planet. Nor can we forget that in the oceans there is a large amount of the flora and fauna that belongs to the world. These bodies of salt water are home to thousands and thousands of species of bacteria, microorganisms, animals and plants. This must also be taken into account for the human being since it is a very important source of natural resources. We extract energy, food and minerals from the oceans. However, due to human activities, what is known as Marine contamination.
In this article we are going to tell you what marine pollution is and its origin.
What is marine pollution
As we know, the ocean is home to thousands of species of living beings and a great source of natural resources for humans. From here we extract energy, food and minerals, among other things, that serve us for our day to day. Unfortunately, due to human activities there are numerous spills that lead to marine pollution. Since we take advantage of the immense aquatic spaces, we end up deteriorating them.
We can say that marine pollution is the result that occurs after the introduction of external physical, chemical or biological agents to these ecosystems. When we pour water that comes from agriculture into water courses such as rivers, it ends up flowing into the sea. This water is contaminated with pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides that are used to promote crop production. Therefore, this is a type of marine pollution. As a result of this pollution we have a degradation of the natural characteristics of the ecosystem. When these characteristics are modified, they end up having an impact on the quality of life of all living beings. It also ends up destroying natural habitats and causing fragmentation between them.
For years the development of the human being has caused the generation of wastewater without any type of treatment, different kinds of chemicals and even radioactive waters that have been dumped into the sea. Until the 70s, there was a popular belief that due to the large amount of water in the oceans, all pollutants could be diluted without causing environmental consequences. Later it has been seen that this is not the case.
Despite what is thought, pollution is not diluted, but accumulates so much in the waters, in the trophic chains. Then it is distributed throughout the waters of the oceans around the world, reaching places where human activity is not present. In fact, we can see consequences of pollution in places that are not invaded by humans as lor is it Antarctica through the Mariana Trench.
Causes of marine pollution
The causes of marine pollution come from numerous sources. The vast majority of them are due to human economic activities. Let's see what are the main sources of marine pollution.
Pesticides and herbicides
As we have mentioned before, agriculture employs various chemicals that help reduce pests and diseases that attack crops. Herbicides are used to kill those weeds that hinder the growth of the crops. These chemicals deplete seawater and decrease populations of phytoplankton, algae, and other marine plants. As a consequence, causes a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the water and can accumulate in the tissues of organisms. The problem of these chemical pollutants being addressed in the tissues is carried over into the food chain. Finally, it can cause alterations in the behavior of the reproduction of the fish to cause problems to the human being through the consumption of them.
Fertilizers and detergents
It is another of the main causes of marine pollution. Both chemicals cause the enrichment of nutrients in the waters. This excess of nutrients is known as eutrophication. They are mainly composed of nitrogen and phosphorus. When these reach the waters, the algae begin to grow rapidly. It is here where they form a layer of biomass that prevents the entry of sunlight and the renewal of oxygen in the water. Therefore, it prevents the development of life in areas with eutrophic waters.
Chemicals and hydrocarbons
Chemicals are those that can be found in all kinds of spills. This range extends from heavy metals and radioactive waste that come from various industries. We can find from drugs, medications and hormones, among others. The immediate consequence of these contaminants is immediate death from poisoning and in more extreme cases the appearance of malformations and metabolic disorders in the trophic chain.
Regarding hydrocarbons, we know that both fishing boats, motorboats, cruise ships, etc. They use hydrocarbons as a fuel source. When an oil spill occurs, all the animals die asphyxiated since it prevents the entry of sunlight and the components of the decomposition of this hydrocarbon affect the behavior and physiology of the organisms.
Waste water and plastics
Wastewater is that which comes from populations and industries and is discharged without any control. Some of them favor the eutrophication of the waters since they are rich in organic matter and nutrients.
Plastics and microplastics are considered one of the biggest triggers of marine pollution on the entire planet. They can reach cause wounds, malformations and amputations to animals by being hooked on them. For their part, microplastics get incorporated into the digestive system of organisms and even humans absorb all toxins and damage tissues.
Other types of pollutants to a lesser extent are the nets that are lost and sent to the sea in the capture of fish and noise pollution. This pollution comes from sonars, their marine, ships, oil installations that spread for miles from their origin.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about marine pollution and its origin.