Ocean Pollution “Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities” (WWF, May 4, 2006, p.1). The rest comes from ocean-based activities. Different types of pollution enter the ocean each year. The major pollutants are oil, toxic materials, and debris. These materials not only pollute the ocean, but they also affect the marine life. Before the 1970s there were no laws to prevent and stop people from dumping pollutants into the ocean. Since the early 1970s many laws and regulations have been passed to help protect the ocean. People have set up organizations. These organizations go as far to have beach clean ups and offer several tips for people to do their homes that will help keep the ocean clean. Ocean pollution is
This can be a problem for people according to NOAA’s article Pollutants from Nonpoint Sources: Bacteria, Viruses and Trash:
The Norwalk virus has recently caused illness in a number of locations in the United States. This virus causes intestinal illness, and infects people when they come into contact with contaminated food or water. Eating raw shellfish contaminated with the virus is another way people contract the illness. Nonpoint source runoff from urban areas, or discharges from improperly maintained sanitary systems on boats, are also sources of the virus. The second source of toxic material that ends up in the ocean is chemicals. Everything that occupies the ocean is contaminated by chemicals
Ocean Pollution 7 that have been dumped into the ocean. Some of the chemicals in the ocean came from people dumping them into the ocean before the 1970s. They viewed the ocean as a dumping area because they thought the chemicals would be diluted into the water. This stopped when the London Dumping Convention took place and a treaty was amended in 1996. But according to WWF chemicals can also enter the ocean through land based activities. These chemicals can escape into the environment while they are being made, during their use, or the disposal of the chemicals. They can also escape into the environment from accidental leaks or fires in products containing these chemicals. When these chemicals are in the air and water they can travel