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Julianne Vecere
Ms. Hartman
Senior Project
April 29, 2009
Ocean Pollution and Its Effects on Marine Animals
The next time you visit your favorite coastal vacation spot, take a look around.
Chances are you will find empty cans, plastic bottles, and trash littering the beach. However,
the trash found onshore is only a fraction of the amount of trash that gets deposited into our
oceans every day without a second thought, killing marine animals and harming the earth in
the process. For my entire life, I have been interested in the ocean and the animals living in it.
I have had the opportunity to witness first-hand the effects of pollutants on marine animals. I
understand that many are ignorant to the problem taking place in our oceans, and it requires
more attention if change is going to occur. Ocean pollution is an overlooked but growing
problem for our environment that is contaminating waters, poisoning marine animals and their
food sources, and causing disease and reproductive problems that harm animals and their
offspring. Therefore, new steps must be taken to reduce amounts of waste and trash, to
properly dispose of these pollutants in an environmentally friendly way and to find
alternatives to harmful products such as plastic and lead that are safer for the environment and
the animals living in it.
When it came time to choose a major for college, I knew that I wanted to study marine
biology. Because of this, I involved myself in many programs relating to the subject to make
sure that I wanted to make a career out of it, and I knew I wanted to focus on working with
marine mammals. In the summer of 2007, I had the opportunity to visit the Riverhead
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Foundation in Long Island, New York. I was given a behind the scenes tour of the rescue
center they had there and was exposed to turtles, seals, and many other marine mammals that
were injured and stranded along shore because of pollutants and debris in their habitats. These
were not the animals you see performing tricks at aquariums. These were real, wild, animals
that were removed from their homes and hurt because of human actions. I had never known
the extent of this issue until I saw it up close and personal. I had always been interested in the
subject, and to realize that even I was ignorant to the real situation was alarming. I knew that
in order to make a difference, the public needed to be informed. When I heard about the
senior project course, I knew that this was the ideal way for me to do my part and spread the
word about this issue. In order to try and find a solution to the problem, I needed to find out
what effects have been seen on marine animals so far, what the most common type of
pollution is affecting the oceans, what steps have been taken to decrease the problem up until
this point and why they have not been successful. I understand that the issue of pollution is
one that there is no direct answer to at this point. There are many organizations that work to
spread the word about the state of our oceans, help injured animals, and clean up trash along
the shores. By researching the tactics they have used, and talking to educated professionals
about their opinions regarding what needs to be done, I hope to further inform the general
public about this issue so that one day it can be resolved.
The first semester of my senior year, I enrolled in the Marine Ecology course at my
high school. One of the sections we focused on was ocean pollution, where I learned more
about the issue and specific situations that the problem has caused. Going into my research, I
knew simple information such as the fact that plastic soda rings can get caught around the
necks of animals, and I had even witnessed the effects before my own eyes during my tour at
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Riverhead. I had known that over two-thirds of the United States’ population lives within 50
miles of the coast, which makes the oceans an easy dumping ground for all of the waste it
produces (“The World Ocean…”). I had learned briefly about ocean dumping and oil spills,
so I had a good basis of knowledge before I started the project. Even with this knowledge, I
was surprised at the intensity of the consequences of pollution in the oceans and the large
amounts of garbage and waste we are dumping into the oceans every year, both intentionally
and accidentally. After all, 80% of pollution in oceans comes from land-based activities
(“Water Pollution Facts and Figures”).
I began my research using the internet and search engines, trying to find as much
information as possible, because I knew that there were many aspects of ocean pollution to
study. I had originally thought that the ocean was large enough to handle whatever it is that
we put into it, assuming that the vast depths of the water would be able to dilute the
pollutants, and that is true to an extent. It can dilute natural dirt and silt, but I found that we
are putting in far more than the ocean can take, more so than anyone besides companies that
dump into the ocean can imagine. Additionally, the ocean has no outlet. All rivers, streams,
and other water sources eventually drain into the ocean. The garbage, oil, and pesticides that
find their way into the oceans sit there with no where to drain to (“The World Ocean…”).
Some pollutants, such as plastic, can take up to 400 years to break down (“Effects of Marine
Pollution”). These plastic materials, which make up plastic six pack soda rings, cigarette
lighters, plastic bags and small plastic pellets are some of the worst contributors to ocean
pollution. Every year, plastics in water and coastal areas are estimated to kill up to 100,000
marine mammals and one million sea birds (“Water Pollution Facts and Figures”). Plastic
rings get caught around the necks of marine mammals, strangling them to death or causing
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death by starvation (Bigham). Sea
turtles mistake plastic bags for jelly
fish, a major part of their diet, which
causes the plastic to block their
digestive tract, usually resulting in
death (Bigham). When birds ingest
small plastic pellets that they also mistake as food, it not only potentially blocks their
digestive system, but with the amount of plastic in their stomachs, there is little left for food.
In fact, studies show that in Alaska, 25% of seabirds contained plastic pellets or fragments in
their stomachs (“Ocean, Pollution, and Seabirds”). While researching the marine debris that I
had already known hurt animals, I discovered that many items used in daily fishing routines
can harm animals just as frequently. Used fishing lines and discarded nets kill up to 100,000
animals a year simply from entanglement (“The World Ocean….”). Dolphins, whales, and
other mammals get caught in these nets and die from oxygen starvation because they cannot
come up to the surface for air. Also, they get caught on hooks because they are trying to catch
food for themselves. (Marine Pollution: Causes and Consequences). We have to remember
that fish is a food source for not only ourselves-, but for the larger animals living in the oceans
as well. When we use fishing lines to catch fish for our food supply, it is hazardous to the
animals because of entanglement but also because it makes them search harder for their food
as well (“The World Ocean…”).
Everyone has heard about oil spills and think of it as an unpreventable tragedy. I
originally went into my research on oil spills expecting to try and search for a solution to
prevent oil tankers from causing these spills. However, I found that most of the oil in the
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oceans does not come from oil tanker spills. Of the about 400 million gallons of oil spilled
into the oceans every year, 363 million gallons of that comes from industrial wastes and
automobiles (“Pollution Solution”). Many people pour used motor oil down the drains of
storm sewers, without stopping to think about where the oil ends up (“Pollution Solution”).
The oil that ends up in the oceans
does not disintegrate into the water,
and more often than not it ends up
coating animals and birds in a thick
layer of oil. When ingested, oil can
cause kidney or liver damage,
digestive problems, eye damage,
and other health problems. However, much of the damage comes from the oil coating the
animals’ fur and skin. Mammals such as sea otters and seals use their fur coats as a source of
warmth, because they do not have a layer of blubber. When the coat becomes covered in oil,
the protection becomes lost and they could freeze to death (“Rescuing Birds and Mammals
from Oil Spills”). Sea birds have a layer of down feathers that is used as insulation when they
expand and trap warm air. Oil weighs these feathers down, making the birds extremely
vulnerable to hypothermia, and makes them unable to fly or find food (“Rescuing Birds and
Mammals from Oil Spills”). However, this is not the only way that oil gets into the water
that can be prevented. Many times, supertankers, that store and transport oil, flush their
storage compartments and wash excess oil into the oceans (“The World Ocean…”). I also
came across the story of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska, the
largest oil spill to date. The drunken captain of a supertanker ran into a reef, puncturing holes
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in 8 of the 11 tanks containing oil. As a result, approximately 242,000 barrels, about
40,000,000 liters, spilled into the water. It left 33,000 birds, hundreds of sea otters, seals, and
sea lions, as well as many other marine animals dead (Sumich). I was surprised that the oil
companies did not think to design the ships in a way that would not allow all of the oil in the
tanks to spill if a situation such as this one arose. It also amazed me to find that effects of this
oil spill are still being seen today. Generally, oil is very difficult to clean out of the water.
Clean up crews tried to contain the oil and skim it off the top of the water. However, this
method only removes a portion of the oil. Because of this spill, many tankers have been
switching to double hulls, giving an extra layer of protection so that if a tanker happens to run
into something again, it will have less of a chance to create a major spill (Sumich).
Throughout my research, I have found that a majority of the problems caused by oil are not
created by spills or tanker accidents, but by uninformed citizens.
Many sources I found stated that toxic chemicals from wastes that countries dump into
the ocean and run off from agricultural areas are equally as dangerous to the animals, though
sometimes in a less direct way. I was surprised to find that for a long time, cruise ships were
allowed to dump untreated sewage and detergents once they were 3 miles away from shore
(Halweil). Compared to the size of the ocean, I was amazed that the government would allow
a ship that produces approximately 210,000 gallons of sewage, and more than 8 tons of solid
waste a week to leave all of that waste, untreated, so close to shore (“Water Pollution Facts
and Figures”). Thankfully, a group called Oceana campaigned to prohibit this act, causing the
Royal Caribbean Company to install advanced sewage treatment in all of their cruise liners
(Halweil). However, this action simply makes the sewage less harmful. I learned that simply
by ingesting chemicals from the sewage, sea turtles can develop tumors on their necks and
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flippers (Bigham). Also, the effects are seen on the animals’ offspring as well. Lead and
mercury build up in the fatty tissues of mammals such as whales and sharks, leading to birth
defects in their offspring (Marine
Pollution: Causes and Consequences).
Pesticides can even be found in the flesh
of penguins and the brains of polar
bears, because of the chemicals that are
eaten by their food sources. In fact, I
was shocked to find that toxic chemicals can be found in the bodies of most marine animals
(“The World Ocean…”).
With this information in mind, I talked to Robert Lingenfelser, president of the Marine
Mammal Conservancy in Key Largo, Florida. He mentioned to me another aspect of the
sewage problem, one that I had researched briefly about, but he explained could be much
more dangerous than expected. He told me that nutrients we put into the oceans feed
phytoplankton, which makes up the basis of the marine food chain. When the toxic chemicals
start at the beginning of the food chain, the chemicals stay persistent as they work their way
up the food chain. Though nutrients are good for the ocean as a whole, too many nutrients
cause a problem. He also mentioned how the phytoplankton produces 75% of the oxygen we
breathe on earth, meaning if the food chain is disrupted by the excess of chemicals and
nutrients, it could hurt us as humans as well (Lingenfelser).
Mr. Lingenfelser informed me about an entire type of pollution that I did not even
know affected the marine environment until this point: noise pollution. I had always assumed
that it was the actual pollutants we were putting into the water that was harming them so
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much. However, our sonar use, the increase in shipping traffic due to the increase in demand
for fish, and ocean mining have interfered with mammals such as whales and dolphins that
rely heavily on sound. As a result, these animals are unable to communicate, breed, and find
food. Many beached animals were expected to have been washed ashore because of their lack
of communication with the rest of their pods (Lingenfelser). Using this information, I decided
to look into the subject. I found that humpback whales use their sonar abilities to find
potential mates. Noise pollution interferes with this which could lead to inability to
reproduce. Sea lions and gray whales use sonar to echo-locate in the open water, and noise
pollution leads them to break away from their normal migration routes. With the increase in
industry and ocean mining, this situation is becoming much more frequent (“Oceanic Noise
Pollution”).
Once I researched the problem of ocean pollution itself, I began to search for
solutions. Because the world has been dealing with this issue for quite some time, I knew that
there were no solutions that were tried up until this point that have been successful. I wanted
to look for what tactics the government and pollution control companies have tried in the past,
because it would make it easier to find why they have not been successful. Knowing this will
help my search for an effective and realistic solution to ocean pollution. I first searched for
specific laws or acts placed by the government to try and control the input of pollutants into
the oceans. In 1972, the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act was formulated to
prohibit the disposal of waste into the oceans and regulate discharge of wastes through
pipelines. It was intended to manage the environment and protect it with acceptable
standards. However, it was unrealistic and was not enforced properly (“Ocean Dumping”).
The Shore Protection Act of 1988 had stricter guidelines. It makes it “unlawful for any
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person to dump, or transport for the purposes of dumping, sewage sludge or industrial waste
into ocean waters after December 31, 1991” (“Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988”). After the
passing of this act, dumping in the ocean required a permit issued by the Department of
Transportation. The Clean Water Act of 1980 set standards for wastewater treatment and
discharges from industrial facilities (Pinneo). This has helped a great deal, but it does not
deal directly with the water or cleanup, it simply sets regulations for direct sources of
pollution (Bernard). Even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is working with ten
other companies, as well as the Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (MDCC) in an effort
to reduce marine debris. While the group focuses on prevention, cleanup, research, and
increasing awareness, little follow-up has been completed, so the plan has not reached its full
potential (“Federal Agencies Map Plans to Address Marine Debris”). Ideally, our country
would be able to use wind and solar energy instead of coal, oil, and other fossil fuels.
However, as of right now, it is too expensive and does not produce as much energy so we are
not willing to use it (Bernard). Overall, many of the sites and references sources I came
across stated that the laws in effect at this point in time do not deal directly with the issue of
ocean pollution, and they are not strictly enforced (Bernard).
After reading about the unsuccessful acts, I talked to Cynthia Knowlton of Ocean
Alliance about what she believes is the best way to stop the spread of the problem. Aside from
government laws, she told me the best way to control the issue is by common citizens using
their knowledge about the subject to change their habits so they are acting in ways that are
better for the environment. Ms. Knowlton told me that almost all of the trash we use can and
usually does end up in the oceans somehow. In terms of plastic, people tend to believe that
once they break down, they are gone. However, it is simply broken down into smaller pieces
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that are consumed by fish, which is then consumed by larger fish. The problem does not end;
it actually spreads (Knowlton). Based on the knowledge I gained from her about plastics, I
used the internet to try and find an alternative to plastics, one that would be better for the
environment. I learned that there is a company called EcoPlastics that has developed a plastic
called EcoLyte that turns plastic to dust when it is exposed to the sun for at least 60 days.
Unfortunately, it is expensive and increases manufacturing costs 5-10%. Companies do not
want to spend the extra cost, despite the environmental benefits, so they continue to use the
cheap, traditional plastics we are used to (Berliant).
Many of the sources I consulted about an end to ocean pollution have the same answer
as Cynthia Knowlton: that there is no answer. However, I found that if common citizens do
simple tasks such as not littering, recycling motor oil, and reducing use of pesticides and
fertilizers, we can start to reduce this problem (“Clean Ocean Action”). Many of the general
pollution preventing tactics apply to the ocean as well. These include using non-aerosol spray
cans which contain PCB’s, and recycling used batteries (“Clean Ocean Action”). Instead of
using plastic products, use paper or other alternatives. Also, recycling tactics in general apply
to this problem as well. The more we recycle, the less new plastic needs to be produced, and
the less plastic ends up in the oceans. We need to follow the lead of the Heal the Ocean
Company, who researches the problem themselves and tries to find practical solutions instead
of trying to lobby to the government for help (Heal the Ocean). The group compiles
scientific studies to identify the major sources of pollution, such as sewage pipes, landfills,
and septic systems. They test areas of the ocean to find where the pollution is the greatest and
what the most likely cause is. Their goal is to establish the problem and what it will take to
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solve it, so that the public will understand and work with them to clean up beaches and protect
the oceans (Heal the Ocean).
Throughout the process of completing this project, I have learned much more about
the topic of ocean pollution. I plan on attending Stony Brook University in Long Island, New
York to study marine biology and hopefully one day become a marine rescue biologist. Since
I want to work with marine animals as a career, I know exactly what the effects of my actions
and the actions of my country as a whole will have on them. Going into it, I assumed I knew
about the problem and was simply looking for a solution. However, I found that I learned
more about the issue itself than I could have ever imagined. I wanted to end ocean pollution
in the first place because I care about the animals, but I found that polluting the oceans affects
humans as well. Animals are the key indicators of the health of our oceans, so it is up to us to
protect them (Lingenfelser). The research I have done and the professionals I have talked to
have made me realize that if I am passionate about this subject, it is up to me to spread the
word because that is the most powerful way to end it. The more the public cares about it, the
more we can work together. I expected to find a easy solution, but I realized that it is too
complex to be overcome so easily. After all, we are the ones polluting the oceans, so it is our
job to clean it up.
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