Payton Davis Period 6 English 9 13 sites cited Ocean Pollution Did you know that oceans are the largest bodies of water we have on Earth (5.)? You most likely did considering every continent on Earth is surrounded by water. But, did you know that every year, approximately 1.4 billion pounds of trash enter our oceans (5.)? No one seems to realize what kind of damage we’re doing to the Earth just by polluting alone. Ocean pollution of any kind must be put to an end because the trash we dump into the ocean can give marine life and even human life diseases, the marine life can consume plastic, and they can get caught up in discarded fishing nets and any other form of trash which can all lead them to early deaths (Thesis). Not only does the trash we dump into the oceans affect marine life, but it can affect us and our planet too. …show more content…
The most common element of pollution in our oceans is plastic (5.). Plastic pollution is one of the most serious threats to the ocean. Plastic doesn't degrade; instead, it breaks down into progressively smaller pieces (5.). Though, not all sources of contamination in the ocean come from just plastic. The dumping of radioactive waste, draining sewage, and oils are also big contributors to ocean pollution (5.). Oil is the fastest source of decline to the ocean, being far more harmful than trash and waste. But, only a slight percentage of oil, around 12%, that’s dumped in the ocean is a result of actual oil spills (5.). A big source of pollution in the oceans is coming from land based sources, such as dirt, septic tanks, farms, ranches, motor vehicles, and among larger sources (5.). Pollution of plastic, waste, oils, and trash are not only affecting the ocean, but it’s affecting the ocean life as