Pertinent background information
Ocean water pollution is one of the major topics that is broadly discussed among different quotas because it has negative implications on human existence, marine life, and climatic conditions. The water in the ocean is greatly polluted in the current times due to increasing chemical effluents released into the sea, testing of nuclear and nukes in ocean beds, radioactive deposition, human activities such as agriculture and urbanization, oil spillage, and marine dumping. Since the ecosystem is interconnected, pollution of ocean water results in significant negative impacts on other sectors, such as climatic change, the decline in marine life, issues in animal and human health, and issues in economic activities such as fishery and sea transportation (Landrigan et al., 2020). All the highlighted causes of ocean water pollution release harmful materials and elements into the water that make the water unable to support various activities that it used to support before contamination.
The problem of ocean pollution
Ocean water pollution has a myriad of problems that it poses in different sectors where its effects are highly felt. First, accidental oil spills resulting from shipping accidents or offshore drilling have catastrophic effects on marine ecosystems through the uncontrolled release of hazardous materials into the ocean. The released materials or oil spills kill marine animals like fish and cause habitat loss of some species, extinction of, and loss of biodiversity in the ocean that affect animal and plant survival (Monteiro et al., 2018). Most of the oils that are transported in the ocean water are unrefined, and they comprise harmful elements that are released into the water, making it unsafe to support marine life by causing suffocation. Seafood that is contaminated with oils and chemicals is also harmful to humans who consume it, causing some ill health.
Ocean water pollution disrupts marine ecosystems by contaminating water, reducing oxygen levels, and introducing harmful substances that cause a decline in the aquatic species that hurts the health of the oceans. Some habitats are lost, and the animals that rely on them become endangered, and with time, they can become extinct if the situation persists. In the lenses of human life, ocean pollution contaminates seafood with toxic material and chemicals, posing a significant health risk to humans (Landrigan et al., 2020). Disruption of ocean water life leads to the loss of sea animals and plants whenever the optimal conditions favoring their survival are halted, leading to massive changes in the seamless operation of the ecosystems.
Ocean pollution creates a grave problem for countries trying to rehabilitate the polluted waters, which is a capital and time-intensive undertaking. Rehabilitating polluted marine life is costly and complicated because it requires a lot of expertise and investments. Numerous global organizations and countries are pumping much money into stopping ocean pollution and rehabilitating it after realizing that it has massive negative impacts that must be stopped by whatever means (Thushari & Senevirathna, 2020). The money generated for the rehabilitation and mitigation efforts in large sums is a waste of resources as it can be channeled to other priority areas such as technological invention and improving global health well-being.
Lastly, ocean pollution brings an economic problem, especially to industries that heavily rely on the prevalence of healthy oceans, for instance, fisheries and tourism. Ocean supports a significant percentage of the fishing industries in the world and any decline results in devastating effects on the industries regarding profitability and revenue generation. The ocean life supports many tourism activities in terms of enjoying the warm coastal beaches, partaking in some sporting activities, and enjoying the magical ocean scenery that suffers massive blows when various factors pollute the ocean water. When different industries suffer economic setbacks occasioned by ocean water pollution, such as the destruction of coral reefs, loss of fishing, and damage of coastlines, it leads to job loss and loss of national revenue.
The solution to ocean pollution
Since ocean pollution is a global and environmental issue, it has a lot of negative impacts that require robust measures to combat it. Some of the solutions to mitigate ocean water pollution include implementing some coastal and watershed protection regulations to protect coastal ecosystems such as mangroves that buffer the water from pollution from the adjacent land masses. Improving waste management is an excellent solution to ocean pollution that prevents land-based pollution through recycling materials like plastics and scrap metals, adequate sewage treatment, and reducing litter discharge into the ocean (Monteiro et al., 2018). Most factors that cause ocean pollution are situated in the land, such as human activities like deforestation, industrial discharge of chemicals and materials, agriculture, and disposal of material litter and refuse into the ocean water.
In addition, international regulations and agreements help much in rallying different countries in the world to commit towards a common goal to protect ocean pollution in several strategies that are agreed upon. For a significant intervention to reduce water pollution, all countries must agree in unison to work on a specific solution. If one country attempts to solve ocean pollution while the rest are still polluting it, it will be an exercise in futility, underscoring the need for collaboration (Thushari & Senevirathna, 2020). The other essential solution is investing in education and awareness among the general public about the importance of ocean conservation and the dangers of polluting the ocean waters. Through these sensitization programs, the people are adequately educated on responsible waste disposal and the impact of their choices on the environment. Once the general public is pretty sensitized on the issue of ocean pollution, people will embrace behavioral change that eventually will have positive impacts on the ocean water, making it safe for usage.
Finally, reducing plastic pollution is an effective solution that reduces ocean pollution by encouraging the reuse and recycling of plastics to minimize their reach and entry into the oceans. The plastic materials that are highly used in the current times do not quickly decompose, polluting the ocean water massively. The inability of plastic materials to decompose makes the industries embark on recycling and reusing options instead of disposing of them (Landrigan et al., 2020). In that regard, some regulations, such as banning plastic bags, promoting alternatives to single-use plastics, and encouraging responsible consumption, also help much in reducing pollution intensity. It is more critical for individuals and countries to opt to use organic materials that are likely to decompose and have the least harm to the water if they reach there.
Relevance of ocean water pollution to daily lives
Ocean water pollution is a very relevant issue because ocean life is significant to human life as a source of food, income, transport, housing, and numerous industries. Ocean pollution has a direct impact on human life, which makes the issue a very relevant area of interest that many parties explore. Humans are committed in modern times to rehabilitating the already polluted ocean and stopping the worsening of the situation. The issue fits into our daily lives because its betterment makes human life healthier and safer.
Conclusion
In recap, ocean pollution is a tremendous environmental issue that is making the whole globe have many challenges. Many problems occur in human life that make life unhealthy and hazardous. Based on its negative issues, there are a lot of well-thought-out solutions that different agencies develop to help mitigate ocean pollution that has become rampant in recent times.
References
Landrigan, P. J., Stegeman, J. J., Fleming, L. E., Allemand, D., Anderson, D. M., Backer, L. C., & Rampal, P. (2020). Human health and ocean pollution. Annals of Global Health, 86(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7731724/.
Monteiro, R. C., do Sul, J. A. I., & Costa, M. F. (2018). Plastic pollution in islands of the Atlantic Ocean. Environmental Pollution, 238, 103-110. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.096.
Thushari, G. G. N., & Senevirathna, J. D. M. (2020). Plastic pollution in the marine environment. Heliyon, 6(8). https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(20)31552-8.pdf.
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