1. Ocean Pollution

2. Think about it…. How could ocean pollution affect your life?
Think of ways you contribute to ocean pollution in your daily life.

3. Review Non-Point Source Pollution – Point-Source Pollution –
comes from many sources
Point-Source Pollution –
one specific source

4. Non-Point source pollution
Most ocean pollution is non-point source
Human activities on land pollute streams and rivers which flow to oceans
Stormwater runoff and agricultural runoff are the most common sources. They increase nutrients too much and cause algal blooms. Dissolved oxygen levels drop and cause fish to die = EUTRIFICATION!
Difficult to control and clean

5. Plastics- the beginning
Cheap and durable
Alternative to glass and animal products such as ivory
Could be used to replicate a variety of materials

6. Plastics- the problem
Most types created from the fossil fuel, petroleum, a non-renewable resource
Used in a lot of packaging- a large part of the waste in our landfills
Takes a long time to break down- we don’t know how long!

7. Plastics- the problem A lot of plastic never makes it to a landfill
Ends up in habitats of many animals
Pollutes the ocean

11. Albatrosses on Midway atoll. Photo Source: dailylife

12.   Haitian Coast. Photo Source: unknown

13. Ways to reduce plastic waste…
Reduce- use less plastic by using reusable bags, containers, bottles.
Reuse- plastic bags from the grocery store can be used multiple times
Recycle- plastic is recyclable! And please don’t litter…
Re-buy- buy goods made from recycled materials whenever possible!

14. Recyclability of Common Materials…
Aluminum cans: infinitely, and aluminum is a valuable resource!
Paper: 5-7 times to make new paper, after that must be mixed with something else or used to create something else.
Cardboard: many times
Glass: infinitely, doesn’t lose quality, and cheaper to recycle than make new glass
Plastics: once to make same item, then must be created into something else such as fabrics, furniture, and carpet

15. Trash Patches Pacific – World’s worst example of pollution
Twice the size of Texas
Floating soup of plastic bags
and other goods which has
collected over many years
because the clockwise, circular
current and lack of wind drives
floating debris into the center
of the gyre.

16. click on picture to see video

18. So what?
A turtle found dead in Hawaii had over a thousand pieces of plastic in its stomach and intestines.
It has is estimated that over a million sea-birds and one hundred thousand marine mammals and sea turtles are killed each year by ingestion of plastics or entanglement.
Animals can become entangled in discarded netting and line.

19. Not for those with weak stomachs!
CAUTION
Not for those with weak stomachs!

21. There is more than one gyre…

23. Point-source pollution
Clean-up is still difficult but it’s easier than cleaning up non-point source pollution
Trash dumping
Sludge dumping
Oil spills

24. Trash Dumping
1980’s scientists became alarmed at the kinds of trash in our oceans (bandages, vials of blood – contained AIDS, syringes)
Found that hospitals dumped 3 million tons of medical waste/year = 6,000,000,000 pounds of trash
Stricter laws created and now it is buried in landfills
Some trash dumping still occurring in deep ocean by some countries
EFFECTS: trash (especially plastic) harmful to animals b/c they mistake it for food

25. Sludge Dumping Sludge from raw sewage dumped into oceans
Dumped offshore with hopes of it sinking to bottom, BUT due to currents, often it is moved closer to shore where it pollutes beaches and kills animals/plants
Banned in most places but some countries still dump

26. Oil Spills Oil is in high demand all over the world
Transported in huge tankers across oceans
Oil spills occur when oil is not handled properly
EFFECTS:
Countless animals and plants die.
Even after clean up, environment will suffer for decades

28. Only 5% of oil pollution is from oil spills
BUT…
Only 5% of oil pollution is from oil spills
Most of oil that pollutes oceans is non-point source from cities and towns

29. Saving our Ocean Resources
Citizens of countries have acted by petitioning their government for stricter laws and starting events like “beach clean-ups”
United States – 1972 – “Clean Water Act” put EPA in charge of issuing permits for ocean dumping
United States – 1972 – “US Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act” – prohibit dumping of any material that would affect human health or welfare, the marine environment or ecosystems, or businesses that depend on the ocean.
1989 – Several nations joined together to pass a treaty that prohibits dumping of certain metals, plastics, oil and radioactive waste
Dumping and oil spills still occur
Enforcing laws is difficult b/c oceans take up 71 % of the Earth, hard to monitor

30. Cleaning it up
Imagine that you are in charge of the ocean plastics clean up design a way to clean up the plastics with minimal harm to the ocean biosystem.

31. Now compare and contrast your solution with
click on picture to see video

32. Quick Quiz List three types of ocean pollution.
Raw sewage dumping is which type of ocean pollution?
What would be an example of non-point source pollution? Point-source pollution?
How can trash dumping and sludge dumping affect food webs/chains in the ocean?