MARINE ENVIRONMENT.   Term Paper ID:17323 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Human & industrial pollution, effects, alternative solutions, need for change in public's lifestyle.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Human & industrial pollution, effects, alternative solutions, need for change in public's lifestyle. Paper Introduction: SAVING THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT Two thousand miles from the American mainland, a young hawksbill turtle is found stranded on a Hawaiian beach. George Balazs, a sea turtle biologist from the National Marine fisheries service, details what he found in the turtle's gut: ". . . a plastic Ziploc bag, about eight inches square. It contains a mass of garbage, . . . a golf tee, shreds of bags and sheeting, bits and pieces of monofilament line, a plastic flower, part of a bottle cap, a comb, chips of styrofoam and hard plastic, dozens of small round pieces" (Norris, 1986, p. 19). There has been a rising trend in using the marine environment as a dumping ground for our wastes, thereby increasing the mortality rate of important marine wildlife. Unfortunately, pollution of the marine environment has brought about many Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Audubon, 88, 18-23. In order to combat the problem of oil spills, detergents are being usedto dissolve the oil into harmless particles (Carefoot, 1983). Then and only then will there be enough support to change whatis happening. . 72). People with theattitude of "out of sight, out of mind" do not realize the gravity of themarine pollution situation, primarily because they do not see it. .yellowfin, bluefin, and bigeye tuna as well as the white marlin andswordfish are known to pass right through the 1 6 site during theirseasonal migrations" (p. Pacific seashores. Similarly, sewage and fertilizerrunoffs are not being treated adequately in big cities where the costs forwater service will skyrocket (Schoenherr, 1987). The oilindustry claims that the amount of damage oil spills have on theenvironment is small compared to a global scale of annual accidents.Studies have found that the amount of oil spilled annually is down from 6.1million metric tons in 1975 to 3.2 million metric tons in 1985 (Kelly,1985). It takes atleast six months for plastic to be digested in sea birds (Ryan & Jackson,1987); often the plastic proves to be a fatal meal for the animal.Commercial fishermen who let out an estimated 2 , miles of netting eachday lose an average of 1 miles per day and "thousands of miles ofdeteriorated nets are abandoned each year" (Norris, 1986, p. . Too often, boaters throwgarbage into the water, including beer cans, plastic bottles, fishinglines, six-pack rings and plastic bags. In England, sewage is beingseparated from storm water, utilizing a Dynamic Separation System ("New")proving to be highly successful in maintaining high water quality in itsrivers and coastal regions. Oystermen also need to worry about sewage dumping. Ocean oil pollution: Threat less thanfeared. Manyrecreational beach-goers, as well as sport and commercial fishermen, havewitnessed dead fish that wash up either on beaches or in marinas. Theproblem does not register until it "hits home" (Brandt et al., 1987). Finally, garbage dumping in the marine environment is either beingphased out or being moved to "safe locations." The New York Bight Apex isone example of a dump site being relocated. Pollution onland has always been a problem since the age of industrialization, and atthe present time, the land space we have is decreasing due to extraordinaryland development. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 18(9), 469. Only by educating the public can thesituation be corrected. This paperwill discuss the topic of marine pollution, including a brief history ofhow the pollution problem started, the major sources of pollutants and howit is affecting the environment, and finally, what is being done about theproblem. SAVING THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT Two thousand miles from the American mainland, a young hawksbill turtleis found stranded on a Hawaiian beach. D. 21). They are replacing other materials like wood, metaland glass for more lightweight and durable products, and they do notbiodegrade back into the environment; instead, they are like "individualmines floating around" (Weisskopf, 1987, p. In 1975the National Academy of Sciences estimated seven million tons of garbagewere dumped into the ocean (Weisskopf, 1987). 1.2 trillioncubic inches of plastics manufactured in that year was nearly double thecombined output of steel, aluminum and copper" (Weisskopf, 1987, p. Terry Backer, a Connecticut oysterman, claims that oysters are an eightmillion dollar per year business. Don't let our oceans turn into sewers. 61) threatening marinewildlife. Sadly, the oceans of the world offer us a huge resourcewhich we take for granted. Thermal pollution is occurring in certain areas where nuclear plants donot employ the water cooling towers due to high costs. Our planet earth is covered with about two-thirds water withthe other third land. Even outhouses have been placed on theedge of a source of running water. But more importantly than the latter statistics indicate, theseannual accidents illustrate the harmful effects oil spills have on specificcoastal ecosystems. In July 1987, Long Island Sound sufferedfrom such a phenomenon. It gives us a means oftransportation, an aquatic environment for recreation, and an abundantsupply of food. a plastic Ziploc bag, about eight inchessquare. DDT will not disappearfrom the environment as long as it is still being manufactured here in theUnited States for export to third world countries (Land, 1987, p. The new disposal site is knownas the 1 6-Mile Deepwater Municipal Sludge Disposal Site (DMSDS). Business Week, 88-1 4. Musselsbecome infected. Althoughthere is existing legislation like MARPOL's Annex V which prohibits thedumping of plastics in twenty-four participating countries' waters, thereis the problem of policing international waters and enforcing the lawagainst those who are guilty of infractions. (1987, July 12). On a much larger scale, trash isbeing dumped into the ocean by disposal companies of large cities. Unfortunately, pollution of the marineenvironment has brought about many problems to coastal ecology. Tide of plastic. But with the overloaded sewer systems,his oyster beds are closed by the health department due to hepatitiscontamination. Schoenherr, A. (1987). Oil spills in our oceans have always been a hazard for marinewildlife, especially birds. . And when there is no kelp, many game fish important to sportand commercial fishermen leave the area. All too often, the beauty of seascapes may be marred by oil residuelike tar on beaches or soiled boats. These insecticides,derived from the chrysanthemum plant, unlike DDT which takes decades,breaks down in the environment within a few weeks. Solutions must deal with making the public realize, first of all, thatthere is a real and growing problem which will eventually affect theirlifestyle. The percent of dissolved oxygen in the wateris lessened due to the rise in temperature. Big businesses, only concerned withtheir economic well-being, must change their narrow outlook and do theirpart to save the marine environment before it is too late. Sweden, for example, is restrictingthe use of fertilizers during certain times of the year to reduce excessnutrients in coastal waters ("New," 1987). Maritime pollution becomes a globalissue. et al. Any loss of one of these organisms affects the whole ecosystem,thus greatly reducing the productivity of the marine environment. Itis human nature not to worry about a problem until it affects individualsdirectly. As the population grew so did the pace of technology. (1988, Oct./Nov.). Peopletoday tend to disregard anything that does not directly affect them. Troubled waters: The world'soceans can't take much more abuse. Russel, D. The solutions that are in effect today will not work for variousreasons. The newsite allows greater dispersal of the garbage constituents (Santoro, 1987). Oil spills can damage specific ecosystemsfor decades (Kelly, 1985). The highest ever recorded concentration of DDT in amussel was 2.9 pm, found in Orange County, California (Schoenherr, 1987).White croaker, a fish well known to pier and jetty fishermen, often eatthese infected mussels, thus raising the levels of DDT found in these fish. But more significantly, oil affectswildlife. During the American Industrial Age, factories found iteconomically beneficial to locate near water in order to discard by-products into rivers or the ocean. Asa result, we end up dumping our wastes into the nearest available space,the ocean. In addition, the population growth of the world is simplygrowing too rapidly for our natural resources' ability to accommodatethemselves. Waste waters. 52). The lifespan of ingestedplastic particles in seabirds and their effect ondigestive efficiency. Unfortunately,our blindness to the fragility of the sea has let us use its waters as aplace for our wastes and garbage. Weisskopf, M. . a golf tee, shreds of bagsand sheeting, bits and pieces of monofilament line, a plastic flower, partof a bottle cap, a comb, chips of styrofoam and hard plastic, dozens ofsmall round pieces" (Norris, 1986, p. Oil use must be halted entirely for spills to stop occurring. Plastic reaps a grim harvest in theoceans of the world. Thermal power is utilizing cooling towers. And because of the oceans' vastness, we see theocean as an indestructible and inexhaustible resource. Moderntechnology is also producing better containers and safer methods ofdrilling. George Balazs, a sea turtlebiologist from the National Marine fisheries service, details what he foundin the turtle's gut: ". When DDT isintroduced into the marine food chain, it becomes biologically magnified inanimals high on the food chain. And unfortunately, the most effectivedetergents used to clean up spills are usually the most toxic to theinhabitants of the coastal intertidal zone (Carefoot, 1983). Thermal warming of coastal zones affects the environment similarly tonutrient fertilizer runoffs. Many people, like offshore anglers, who are consistent and direct usersof the ocean, may ask, "If all this is being done about marine pollution,why is it that the problem is still on the rise?" Unfortunately, these solutions, while working in certain situations arenot adequate to clean up the marine environment, let alone change theattitudes of the people who are doing the polluting. The United States uses about 2 millionbarrels of oil per day (Schoenherr, 1987). Dick Russel, a fisherman and a reporterof Sport Fishing magazine, notes that on the eastern seaboards, ". A Natural History of California.University of California Press. Land, T. The National Marine Fisheries Service contests thatfunding is also needed for education and research (Norris, 1986). The results are better than no cooling at all.Sewage and nutrient runoffs can be treated with secondary(chlorination/removal of organic matter) and tertiary (oxidation/removal ofnutrients) methods of purification so that the water which enters theenvironment is pure enough to drink. Sewage treatment in many large cities is highly inadequate,especially if primary treatment (screening of large debris only) is thesole method (Schonherr, 1987). (1983). Further, cities like Los Angeles and New York have their sewage outletsin the ocean, destroying habitats for all wildlife. Wastes, which were once all natural products like wood,metal and glass, have been replaced with synthetic compounds such asplastic. Norris, R. The San Onofrenuclear power plant is one example. Today, the National Academyof Sciences estimates that over 3 million pounds of plastic garbage arebeing dumped annually (Norris, 1986). Another factor contributing to coastal ruin is fertilizer runoffs.The excess nutrients of nitrates and phosphates promote algal bloomscausing a depletion of oxygen to a point where fish suffocate. It contains a mass of garbage, . Sport FishingMagazine, 5 -7. 12). Environment, 27, 23. (1987, September). 1B). Recently, signs posted on piers and jetties in the SouthernCalifornia area by the Health Department warn anglers not to eat the fishcaught due to DDT residue found in the fish. Journal of Commerce and Commercial, 373, 1B. Governments therefore mustemploy a wholistic approach of cleaning up the entire world pollutionproblem in order to tackle the marine pollution problem. With the populationof the world exploding, our natural resources will simply run out ifcareful management on a global scale fails. Concerning pesticides, organic compounds are being formulated in orderto manufacture insecticides known as pyrethrums. (1988, March). This writer believes that the reason why the proposed solutions arefailing is because fundamental changes in the public mind must occur first. It is terribly unfortunatethat because of the selfish nature of mankind, the ocean environment andits inhabitants are suffering. There has been a rising trend in using the marine environment as adumping ground for our wastes, thereby increasing the mortality rate ofimportant marine wildlife. Status report - phase out ofocean dumping of sewage sludge in the New York Bight Apex. Unfortunately, the National Academy of Sciences has estimatedthat over 3 million pounds of plastic netting, lines, and buoys are lostevery year (Norris, 1986). Our oceans are an important natural resource. We can specifically blame oil spills, fertilizer runoffs, nuclearthermal warming, sewage outlets, pesticides and garbage. The great demand for oil to runAmerican industry has led to many disastrous oil accidents. White croaker, containing 624 pm DDT found in Santa Monica Bay,California, has been proven to be hazardous to health if eaten (Schoenherr,1987). where for eleven days, 21, gallons of crude oil per daybelched . . As many local fishermen know, todaythere is no more kelp in the San Onofre area due to the thermal warming ofthe water. Santoro, E. Smithsonian, 18, 59-66.----------------------- 11 89). BusinessWeek, 19 . Two years earlier, in 1967, theEnglish tanker, the "Torrey Canyon" spilled 12 , tons of oil that killedabout 4 , seabirds (Carefoot, 1983). Pesticides, commonly used to raise economic factors of agriculture, isan important cause that is raising the mortality rate of marine animals.Although DDT has been banned since 1972, biologists are still finding thepesticide in shellfish, fishes and marine mammals today. Thesenets and other plastic pollutants from garbage are piling up all over theworld, upsetting delicate ecosystems. In 1969, forexample, Santa Barbara experienced an oil spill from an oil platformaccident, ". The development of land is directly related to the development oftoday's society. (1987, Oct. . Marine Pollution Bulletin, 18(3), 217-19. In orderto keep up with the pace of society's needs, modern technology has producedbillions of synthetic products. . The final, most visible cause of marine pollution concerns the dumpingof garbage into offshore regions of the ocean. But just as important, we mustplace the blame on the poor attitudes of today's busy society. . MarinePollution Bulletin, 18(6), 278-8 . Funding is desperately needed for litigation and lobbying(Russel, 1988). There are various means to reduce the phenomenon of red tides (algalblooms), which deplete life-giving oxygen in the aquatic environment. Brandt, R. 12). Marine biologists knowof "dead zones" due to the sewage sludge smothering all life in the areasaround the outlets. References Barton, K. The scenario goes something like this:DDT from land runoffs introduce itself into intertidal zones. (1985, June). Carefoot, T. For centuries, many cultures of the world have found it convenient todump their wastes into rivers which eventually dumped their foul cargo intothe oceans. 61).Even the fishing industry has changed their materials for more durableproducts. Ships at sea have always found itconvenient to throw their garbage overboard for lack of storage space.Like ships at sea, land disposal of wastes has given way to disposal at seadue to lack of space. (1987, June). These stacks, like thefamous ones at Three-Mile Island, allow the water used in nuclear fusion,to cool down considerably. The world's oceans offer us a huge resource which weare taking for granted. New curb on marine pollution by Sweden and separating sewage fromstorm water. (1987, Nov. 19). Before the nuclear power plantwas built in San Onofre, California, kelp beds were abundant and formed thebase of a highly productive ecosystem. With the societal attitude of "live now and paylater," we are seeing tons of various pollutants ruining our marineenvironment. ." (Schoenherr, 1987, p. Plastics constitute a major part ofour life style today. . Fishermen have alsoreported the trash barges dumping their loads short of the designated sitebut out of sight of land (Russel). It is estimated that three out of every four Americanswill live within 5 miles of the sea by the year 199 ("Don't," 1987). G. The oily sludge which reachbeaches may destroy intertidal organisms, fish eggs, grazing snails, oralgae. (1987, May). Millions of tons of suffocated bunker (a speciesof fish) washed ashore. A. Andfinally, marine garbage disposal sites like the 1 6 Mile DMSDS are notrecognizing the strong currents in association with the continental shelf.The trash is not sinking to the ocean floor as planned, but is being blownby currents to different shores (Russel, 1988). Jackson, S., & Ryan, P. These are thecontributing causes for the degradation of the marine environment and theincreased mortality of marine wildlife. . As illustrated by the anecdote at the beginning of this paper, theyoung hawksbill sea turtle is a victim of plastic pollutants in the ocean.Plastics are maiming or killing tens of thousands of sea birds, marinemammals, sea turtles and fishes every year (Weisskopf, 1987). In addition, alternative fuels are also a big business, twoexamples of which are solar power and methane. (1986, September). The excess nutrients from unproperly treated wastewater produces low oxygen levels. Presently, we are facing the problem of marine pollution on a globalproportion. University ofWashington Press: Seattle, WA. Because of the vastness of the oceans, we seethe ocean as an indestructible and inexhaustible resource. Itis estimated that over 1 tanker collisions will occur annually - that'stwo every week (Carefoot, 1983)! Brandtet al., (1987) describe the situation on Long Island Sound as "millions ofdead fish washed up - killed by a total lack of oxygen" (p. In 1985, for example, ". If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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