Former Detective, Jubelin, Guilty of Illegal Recording

POLLUTED OCEANS

          Seventy percent of the oceans covers our planet and are the earth’s most valuable natural resources.  They govern the weather, help feed the world, provide a living for millions and clean the air.  They also are homes to life of the ocean, from microscopic algae organisms to the largest mammal on earth, the blue whale, and yet we have bombarded them with pollution. 

          Where does the pollution in the water come from and where does it go?  All streams flows to the rivers, all rivers flows to the seas, and the seas flows to the oceans which is the ending point for the pollution that we created on land. A lot of debris that are washed in from the waves and tides will end up on our beaches, some of it sinks to the bottom of the ocean, some are eaten by marine animals like jellyfish, shellfish, sea worms, sponges, crabs, squids, and many more, that mistake the debris for food, and some accumulates in ocean gyres.  Ocean gyre is a large system of rotating currents in the oceans.  What drives ocean currents are the tides, wind, and the differences in temperature and salinity.

          There are other forms of pollution that effect the health of the oceans are oil spills.  The oil and gas industry’s releases huge levels of greenhouse gas and this leads to thousands of oil spills in the oceans every year. The bad thing is that the oil can linger in the ocean for decades and cannot all be cleaned up or be repaired from the damage.  Back in 1989 the Exxon Valdez spilled 10.8 million of US gallons of crude oil off the Alaskan coast and it still remains in the ocean today.  The Exxon Valdez was never permitted to enter into the US waters again.

          What we may not realize is that pollution can affect the food we eat.  From the heavy metals and other contaminants in the ocean, it can accumulate in seafood which can make it very dangerous for you to eat.  More than one-third of the shellfish are unfavorably affected by coastal pollution.  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration monitor this contamination through the Mussel Watch program, which monitors and also provides inspection services to the seafood industry for fish, shellfish, and fishery products to ensure the safety and quality of the seafood that we eat.

          The destiny of our oceans is not only up to our government.  We as individuals are part of the problem and the solution to the oceans pollution.  What we do every day, matters.  A few examples we can do to help stop polluting the oceans:

1.    Your toilet is not your trash can.  Non-degradable products such baby wipes, hand wipes, or plastic tampon applicators should never be flushed in the toilet.  They can do great damage to the sewage treatment process and end up littering the beaches.

2.    Your sink may have a garbage disposal, but it is not a trash can either.  Never pour unused paint, chemical cleaners, used oil, or any other household products, down the drain.  These items have toxic ingredients.

3.    Pick up after your pets, even if the owners are reluctant to do it, neighbors can help in this.  Scoop up the waste from pets.  The waste is full of bacteria and it will run into the water supplies and storm drains.  Tie the pet-waste in a recycled plastic bag and throw it in the trash.

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/ocean-pollution-dirty-facts     

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts-education-resources/ocean-pollution