Watershed and Ocean Ecosystems
By Kaitlyn Herrera
Negatives
Five ways humans have negatively affected ground/surface water and ocean ecosystems include:
-Littering
Littering can kill marine animals along with animals that are around ocean areas such as birds and seagulls
-Oil spills
Oil spills can also kill many marine animals and also make water unsafe to drink
-Over fishing
Over fishing affects the entire food chain along with humans drastically
-Toxic Waste
When we burn fossil fuels (oil, gas, or coal) we are adding toxic gas to the air and that cuts off oxygen that needs to reach oceans
-Pesticide
Runoff from plants that have been fertilized can reach the ocean and the chemicals sink into the water, endangering marine life
Positives
Five ways humans have positively affected the negatives above include:
-Waterway clean up groups
You can volunteer in some garbage patrol groups, and beach clean ups. Visit www.krcb.com to find out more about participating in one of these clean ups near you
-Artificial Reefs
They provide a stable habitat for marine animals. They also provide food and protect them from predators
-Donating money
You can donate to the marinebio conservation society to help prevent overfishing
-Visit the Department of Energy's buying green power for alternative ways to use power
-Using non-toxic cleaning products and visiting the consumer reports greener choice website can help with solving pesticide issues