Marine Pollution

Aquaculture

farm raised fish; growing fish in controlled areas aka farmers, less stress on ocean resources

Illegal fishing

fishes are taken outside of their existing management plan

Habitat damage

gear dragging, dredging

Other chemicals

hormones, prescription/ nonprescription drugs, pharmaceuticals, antibiotics, caffeine

Processes acting on an oil spill

lighter compounds evaporate, tarballs, suspended particulates sink, photooxydation occurs where sun breaks down oil, and biodegradation occurs where microbes break down oil

Harvesting fish/ shellfish

stocks beyond their sustainable levels

TBT Tributyltin

Used to prevent biofouling and was used due to low cost, easy application, long life but led to toxins in water, imposed in dog whelks (female with male parts), oyster shell thickening, tumors

Microplastic

Wide use, 1-5mm, micro beads

Invasive Species

Zebra Mussels (alter ecology, grow on industrial facilities), Lion-fish (release of pets, female release eggs, venomous); Japanese tsunami, burmese pythons

By catch

catching something other than what you are intending to; marine organisms caught incidentally by fishers seeking commercial species; results from less selective fishing gear

Impacts of climate change on the world's oceans

sea level rising, increase in temp, reduction in dissolved o2, melting of land ice, decreased salinity, ocean acidification, increase in hurricanes, melting of polar ice, decrease downwelling, change ocean circulation, change behavior of fish, tissue degradation in fish

Mercury and Minamata Disease

1939 Minamata Bay, Japan, factory produce acetaldehyde (bacteria degrade mercury to methyl mercury), phytoplankton accumulate methyl mercury and it is in fish etc; 1956 epidemic of Minamata Disease leads to neurological disorder and other problems; it is the first human disaster associated with pollution

Overfishing

Depleting stocks of a species so that the population is unable to bounce back

POPS Persistent Organic Pollutants

Biologically Active, Resist Degradation

Bioaccumulation

Chemicals taken up by organisms from exposure or ingestion/ consumption of food containing chemicals

Marine Debris

Comes in many different forms, solid material directly or indirectly ex: cigarettes, caps, utensils, bags, food wrappers, rope, straws etc.; comes from bean goers, improper disposal, ships, offshore disposal, characteristics os long-lasting debris (buoyant, easily transported, strong and durable, doesn't degrade easily); 80% is from plastic

Biomagnification

Concentration of chemicals will increase as it passes through the food chain

Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Defined responsibility for damage and cleanup; forbade single hulled tankers

Biological Pollution

Different vectors (modes of transport) introduce invasive species which can be accidental or deliberate; human release, ballast water, ship holes, attach to surfaces of humans or objects; Invasive species lead to environmental effects (predation, parasites, competition, pathogen), economic effects (industry, water supply, fisheries), wildlife and public health (disease, epidemic, parasites, cholera)

Environmental Bioassays

Experiments used to assess how a particular pollutant impacts marine organisms, drawback is that the pollutant is only assessed for a short period of time, and doesn't account for interactions of pollutants with each other

Oil Spills

Hydrocarbons, mostly due to humans, from accidents, tankers running a ground, collision etc.; 47% of World Ocean has natural oil seeps and 53% are due to humans (6% extraction, 72% petroleum consumption, 22% transportation); can harness Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons which can cause developmental abnormalities

Types of Marine Pollution

Oil Spills, Chemical Pollution, Biological Pollution, Marine Debris

Issues associated with marine fisheries

Overharvesting, Illegal fishing, By-catch, habitat damage

Chemical Pollution

Sewage (sewage sludge is dumped into ocean)

Clean up of oil spills

Skimming (confine oil to one area); Burn oil, and Disperse oil (bacteria/ chemical dispersion by plane and chemicals remove oil from surface)

Impacts of Marine Debris

Social (Tourism, navigation, fisheries), Human Health and Safety (medical waste), Environmental Impacts (ingestion, entanglement, toxic compounds, habitat degradation, transport invasive species)

Marine Pollution

The direct or indirect introduction by humans of substances or energy into the marine environment resulting in harm to living resources, hazards to human health, hindrances to human activities, impairments of water quality, and reduction of amenities

Problems with aquaculture

Use of pesticides, antibiotics which could be eaten by animals, escaped species mate with wild species leading to change in gene pool, habitat damage, chemicals/ feed

DDT

kill insects, used as a pesticide, affected ecosystem, thinning of egg shells of birds, carcinogens, liver damage, reproduction, Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

PCBs

polychlorinated biphebyls, used in liquid coolants, industrial chemicals