Pollution of Marine Life: A Growing Threat Despite Regulations - Essay Sample

Introduction

For decades, human activities have significantly impacted marine life. Such activities introduced harmful substances including plastics, oil, industrial chemicals or waste as well as agricultural wastes. It was until 1975 that the London Convention enacted an agreement to protect the marine environment (Howard, 2019). Regulations were stipulated to prevent the disposal of hazardous materials in the oceans. However, some individuals have continued to pollute the oceans without remorse. The main forms of pollution in the oceans are chemical, plastic, as well as light and noise pollution. All these forms have resulted in severe consequences to both marine life and human health.

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Chemical Pollution

It involves the release of harmful substances/contaminants such as herbicides, pesticides, detergents, fertilizers, industrial chemicals, sewage, and oil (Howard, 2019). Chemical pollutants are human-made, and they reach the oceans either intentionally; out of ignorance, or by accidents; because of lack of proper care. Most of these substances are channeled into the environment way far upriver, and not near coastlines. As such, it is usually difficult to trace individuals who violate environmental regulatory programs and policies. Fertilizers released into the farming grounds, located near rivers and streams, contain harmful chemicals which are eventually carried to the ocean bays and estuaries hence ultimately reaching the ocean. Fertilizers are nutrient-packed; they contain nutrients such as phosphorous and nitrogen which promote plant growth. However, when the nutrients are in plenty, they lead to the overgrowth of algae. The excessive growth of algae is referred to as algal bloom (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2018). Algal bloom competes with other organisms for the available oxygen in the oceans. As a result, these algae block entry of oxygen and also deplete the oxygen content, thus creating dead zones where few marine organisms can survive.

Chemicals such as DDT insecticide severely impacted the oceans in the United States hence endangering the fish and wildlife species. Furthermore, sewage driven to the ocean results in the cutback of oxygen levels, a decay in plant life as well as the decline in quality of marine water (Howard, 2019). Consequently, most plants and animals are significantly affected. Some chemicals raise the temperature of the oceans through a process known as thermal pollution. Such temperatures kill animal and plant life. Oil spills have also been noted to suffocate the microorganisms as they block the entry of oxygen to the entrapped organisms. Chemicals are also known for causing death in small animals when ingested. This, in turn, affects the entire food chain. Human health is also at risk because small animals that ingest these chemicals are consumed by humans. As a result, when humans eat these animals, they are affected genetically and sometimes leading to cancer. Congenital disabilities or long-term health problems are also common.

Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution in the oceans is mainly initiated by land runoffs as well as intentional littering and dumping. Plastic pollution is rampant, and this can be illustrated by the quantity of plastic present inside the Atlantic Ocean. Since1960, the volume of plastic has tripled inside the Atlantic Ocean alone (Howard, 2019). There are about 620,000 square miles of plastic and garbage floating on the Pacific Ocean. This size equals twice that of Texas State (Howard, 2019). The use of plastics along coastal lines has encouraged littering of plastics which end up in the oceans. These plastic components are normally consumed by marine animals as they mistake the items for food. Plastic bags have similar appearance with the jellyfish. Therefore, turtles occasionally confuse the plastic bags for jellyfish because the bags also emit a smell of natural food (Howard, 2019). Other plastics are fishing nets discarded into the oceans for years tend to entrap fish and mammals, thus leading to death. Plastics are marine debris, and can physically injure and kill animals in the oceans because they disrupt the navigation safety.

In most cases, marine wildlife is injured, maimed, and even drowned. Some of the plastics are micro, implying that they can be consumed by fish, thus affecting human health, as they induce cancer when consumed. Other plastics find a way into the deepest parts of the ocean hence interfering with the cycle of the coral reefs. These plastic fibers are commonly mistaken for food hence causing death. Most mammals have been found dead along coastal shores, and plastics have been discovered in their stomachs.

Light and Noise Pollution

Light pollution is evident in the oceans nearing urban environments. Light penetrates the water hence reaching the fish present in the shallow reefs. This light interferes with the normal atmosphere linked to circadian rhythms (Howard, 2019). As a result, species have been forced to migrate to other areas. The reproduction, as well as feeding systems of these organisms, are consequently altered. Artificial lights during the night also expose the small fish to their predators. The small fish become easily visible and cannot hide. Thus, the breeding of some species of fish is affected because of the insecurity within the reefs.

Noise pollution cannot be detected through vision, but can instead be felt through the sound waves. Sound waves can emanate from ships, oil rigs, and sonar devices as they produce much noise in the marine environment. Loud and persistent noises from these sources can disrupt the natural noise levels in oceans. In cases of low visibility and long distances, dolphins and whales are greatly affected. Some whale species, such as the Toothed whales, use echo which assists them to navigate the ocean. So when the echolocation is interrupted by human-made noises, their safety is threatened. Unnatural noises can lead to ineffective communication, interference in migration, inhibition of the hunting process, and the disruption of reproduction patterns within marine mammals (Rinkesh, 2018). Noise therefore generally affects the balance of life, and in some instances, it causes a clash of species in the ecosystem hence interrupting life cycles of other organisms.

Describe the composition, structure, and function of the earth's atmosphere. In what part of the atmosphere is the ozone layer? Why is tropospheric ozone harmful to people, whereas stratospheric ozone is beneficial?

The earth's atmosphere comprises several gases, most of them available in small quantities, as well as some pollutants and greenhouse gases. Nitrogen gas tops the list of gases in terms of quantity; it is the most abundant and accounts for 78% (North Carolina Climate Office, 2020). The second-largest gas is oxygen (21%), which is followed by Argon (0.9%); it forms the third most abundant gas in the earth's atmosphere. Other gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, and ozone are trace gases; these account for about a tenth of one per cent of the atmosphere (North Carolina Climate Office, 2020). Water vapor is also present in the earth's atmosphere, and its concentration varies from 0-4% of the atmosphere depending on the place and time. Water vapor content plays a crucial role in predicting weather conditions. Greenhouse gases normally change regularly. These gases contain special physical as well as chemical properties that influence the solar radiation and infrared (heat) emitted from the earth, thus affecting the earth's energy balance. Greenhouse gases significantly influence the earth's energy balance as well as temperature over time. "The composition of the earth's atmosphere determines its ability to transmit sunlight and trap infrared light, leading to potential long-term changes" (North Carolina Climate Office, 2020).

The earth's atmosphere is made up of four layers. These are:

• The Troposphere: Is the surface of the earth, where we live. It is the lowest layer of the atmosphere. Weather changes are common in this layer. Here, the temperature reduces as height increases. There exists a boundary between the troposphere and the second layer. This boundary is known as the tropopause. The tropopause forms the highest point where the weather can affect. This sub-layer serves as the base of the jet stream.
• The Stratosphere: Comes second, and it houses the ozone layer. Here, temperature increases with an increase in height. The ozone layer happens to be warm because it absorbs the sun's ultraviolet (U.V.) rays (North Carolina Climate Office, 2020).
• The Mesosphere: This layer is cooler with low density,and it makes approximately 0.1% of the atmosphere. Here, temperature decreases with an increase in height, just like in the troposphere. This layer contains the same amounts of nitrogen and oxygen as that of the troposphere. However, this layer exhibits 1000 times fewer concentrations of these gases and also less water vapor (North Carolina Climate Office, 2020). Air in the mesosphere is therefore very thin for the weather to manifest.
• The Thermosphere: Is the top layer comprising of hot and very thin air. The structure of the earth's atmosphere is essential because it determines the behavior and controls weather changes as well as developments near the surface of the earth. Here, temperature increases with height due to the sun's direct heat.
• The ozone is located mostly in the stratosphere, about 17-30km, in the ozone layer (North Carolina Climate Office, 2020). The stratospheric ozone is essential for humans because it blocks U.V. radiation. Moreover, the tropospheric ozone is dangerous to humans since it is bears characteristics of a greenhouse gas. The tropospheric ozone is caused by the emission of pollutants of the atmosphere, normally initiated by humans. Pollution has resulted in global warming.

What are the major causes of increased air pollution in very large cities? How have these cities approached improving their air quality? Is the developing world learning from our mistakes or duplicating them? Use events from the last year to support your answer

Air pollution simply can be defined as the release of unwanted chemicals, gases, and other particles into the atmosphere hence causing harm to living species on the earth. Air pollution has been known to damage the earth's natural cycles. Air pollution can be natural or human-made. Natural causes of air pollution constitute of dust storms, forest fires, and volcanoes, among others. On the other hand, human-made causes of air pollution include emissions from factories, cars, power plants, chemicals, aeroplanes, methane gas from landfills, and fumes from spray cans. In general, household, industry, transport, agriculture, and waste are the primary sources of air pollutants (U.N. Environment Program, 2020). However, burning of fossil fuels happens to be the largest cause of air pollutions. Examples of fossil fuels include oil, coal, and natural gas. Burning of fossil fuels releases harmful and toxic gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide, among others (U.N. Environment Program, 2020).

Large cities hold large populations, and therefore the risks of air pollution are high-the high population results in intense human activities aimed at satisfying the needs of the people. Power plants, industries, transport systems, agricultural sectors, and households are always on the verge of supplying the high population with necessary goods, services, and utilities. As a result, air pollution is rampant. Burning of fossil fuels is excessive in large cities, and this releases particles, gases and c...