Phuong Nguyen AP Language and Composition Mr. Yellum 8 March 2018 The Ocean is not a garbage can The amount of pollution in our oceans today is truly saddening when one realizes that the ocean is the prime water supply to one’s daily life. Not only that water is vital for human health, our society today heavily depends on it in order to function normally in this rapidly urbanizing world. In a micro-level analysis, we utilize water for household necessities like plumbing, showering, dishwashing, bathing, and gardening. Moving up to the macro-level analysis, we use water to create sustainable energy and to strive toward food security by sustaining sufficient agriculture and maintaining the terrestrial ecosystems. The possibilities are endless …show more content…
This is a branch of marine pollution is one that is usually overlooked because it is happening in the microscopic level that is not visible to the human eye. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, nutrient pollution is one of America's most widespread, costly and challenging environmental problems. It is caused by the excess amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. Nitrogen and phosphorus are natural nutrients of the aquatic ecosystem. These two elements are necessary for the growth of algae and aquatic plants, which are habitats and food for many oceanic organisms. However, problems arise when there is an overabundance of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. They cause algae to grow faster, causing the ecosystem to become imbalanced. When these algae die, bacteria will help with the decomposition process of the algae. By doing so, bacteria will absorb oxygen from the environment while releasing carbon dioxide into its surrounding. This results in the detrimental effect of aquatic hypoxia, also known as oxygen depleted “dead zones” where fish and other marine life cannot thrive or survive. According to an ongoing study by the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences, the area of oceanic dead zones increased by one-third between 1995 and 2007. The hypoxic zone that forms in the Gulf of Mexico each summer varies in size from …show more content…
In addition, because artificial fertilizers are so affordable, they are often over-applied. As the consequences, they release an excessive amount of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds into rivers, streams, and the ocean. These harmful nitrogen-based compounds, such as ammonia, coming from fertilized soil and livestocks play a significant role in polluting the aquatic ecosystem when they are deposited into the water. When it rains or when water and soil containing nitrogen and phosphorus wash into nearby waters or leach into ground waters, it will increase the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water, causing nutrient pollution. As explained before, the increased in the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water if the precedent to the increased of the algae bloom. Then, the algae’s decomposition will create a harmful environment for the marine ecosystem. As dangerous as it is, if the causes to this problem aren’t being acted on, it is detrimental for the marine