Polluted Oceans – The Silent Scourge

Seventy percent of the earth's surface is covered by oceans. However, our planet is plagued by the silent scourge of pollution for which we humans are responsible. Even the oceans are not spared. Mankind has made dumping grounds of these water bodies. Chlorines, chemicals, pollutants and dyes have polluted oceans to such an extent that many species of aquatic creatures are headed towards extinction. Polluted oceans have become a major problem which has affected the rest of the world too.

Pollutants in the ocean directly affect the organisms living in it. This pollution also affects the resources and health of humans indirectly. Toxic wastes, the dumping of harmful materials, and oil spills are some of the major sources of pollution in the ocean, which is destroying many species in the oceans. The oceans and seas of the world are also being polluted by run offs of fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural activities.

Effluents from power stations and factories are some of the industrial activities which lead to pollution of oceans. Sea transports, especially oil tankers have polluted the waters of oceans. Overfishing is also a type of pollution that has damaged the environment to a great extent. Domestic wastes such as sewage from settlements has also led to pollution of the deep sea waters. The pollutants in oceans can kill fish, plants, and animals, ruin the coastal areas and the beaches and make humans ill.

However, ocean pollution can be prevented, if the usage of dangerous forms of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers is banned. Other preventive measures can be the use of sewage treatment plants, and of aircrafts to monitor and follow ships that overfish. Strict laws must be implemented to stop industries from dumping their wastes into oceans.

Toxic materials and poisonous wastes that are dumped into water bodies harm many plants and animals that live in the depth of the ocean. Toxic waste is probably the most harmful form of sea pollutant that has a negative impact on sea creatures as well as human life. When wastes that are toxic in nature affect an organism, they can get passed along the food chain quickly.

When one toxic creature is consumed by a larger animal, which in turn is devoured by some other larger animal, the toxic wastes eventually go up the food chain, and may even end up as sea food for mankind. This makes the person, who consumes poisoned fish, ill and may even lead to the death of that individual.

There is no stopping this pollution from spreading, as once a small water body becomes polluted, the contaminated water would at some point or the other empty into the ocean, directly or indirectly. This makes cleaning of polluted oceans all the more difficult. The only way to sort out this problem is to stop the pollution at the source.