Human impacts on the ocean
By: Sara Melton
Humans Impact
If you've ever been to the beach, you may wonder why the water isn't as blue as you see in pictures. Well the reason of this is because many humans may not know that a lot of what they do daily can negatively impact the ocean and the plants and animals inside if it.
-IMPACTS-
Oil Spills
Oil Spills are accidental or intentional release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the ocean mainly due to human activity. Oil spills will usually happen because of sinking or leakage of oil carrying vessels or oil pipelines, illegal dumping by industries, or natural disasters. Main effects of oil spills are on marine life, blockage of oxygen into the ocean, effects the food web when reached to sea bed and effects newborn sea life. Dawn dish soap has been an important part of rescuing sea life, with over 1000 volunteers, more then 75000 animals have been saved from oil pollution.
LITTERING
Littering not only makes your community look trashy, but litter can make its way to the ocean and beaches and negatively effect sea life. People litter all the time by just throwing trash on the ground rather then just disposing of it in the trash can, or just throwing it out of their car. Many city's in the U.S. give a large fine from littering on the streets. Some vary a $300-$1000 fine, and $900 if you dispose litter from your car.
OVERFISHING
Overfishing is a big problem all over the world. With fish being a high source of protein, over 32% of the fish imported to the U.S. is caught illegally. A solution to prevent humans from overfishing is monitoring and enforcing which is when a limit is set on how much fish you can catch at one time and enforcing punishments to those who overfish.
FERTILIZERS ON CROPS
Many farmers and crop growers use different types of fertilizers on their crops to make the crops grow faster and better. But many may not know that the fertilizers they use contaminate ocean water. The fertilizers negatively effects the ocean plants and animals. A solution to this is to use little to no fertilizers on the crops we produce, or find a better solution to growing crops in the U.S. and I other parts of the World.
ANIMAL WASTE
If we take our pets out on a walk and they use the bathroom and you decide to not pick up their waste, you are polluting our groundwater. like fertilizers on crops, the animal waste descends into the ground and makes grass and other plants grow, but our groundwater is contaminated because of it. In Yakima, Washington, a fine of $100 is given from not picking up your animals waste. Many more city's in the U.S. are beginning to enforce this punishment.