In order to understand the caliber of what these characters are fighting for, it is important to understand how marine pollution is affecting our own oceans, but first we need to understand what exactly marine pollution is. National Geographic defines it as “a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.” These two main types of pollution have their own differences: 

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Chemical pollution (also known as nutrient pollution) occurs when human activities, notably the use of fertilizer on farms, lead to the runoff of chemicals into waterways that ultimately flow into the ocean. The increased concentration of these chemicals – namely nitrogen and phosphorus – promotes the growth of algae blooms. These are toxic to wildlife and to humans.

 

Trash pollution consists of all manufactured products that end up in the ocean, most of which are plastic. There are several contributors to the accumulation including littering, storm winds, and poor waste management. 80 percent of these come from on-land sources. This trash endangers both animals and humans in various ways. Fish become tangled and injured in debris; some animals mistake plastic bags for food and eat them; small organisms feed on “microplastic” (tiny pieces of broken down plastic) and absorb the chemicals from the plastic into their tissue; large animals eat smaller animals who have absorbed these chemicals, and then the microplastics are absorbed into their own body; and this pollution continues to ride up the food chain until it eventually reaches shellfish that humans consume. 

 

Below are some more facts about marine pollution from Conservation International whose mission is to build upon a strong foundation of science, partnership, and field demonstration by empowering society to responsibly and sustainably care for nature, our global biodiversity, and for the well-being of humanity. 

1. Contrary to popular belief, oil spills are not the biggest problem. In fact, they only account for 12 percent of the oil in our oceans. Two thirds as much oil is carried out to sea via runoff from our roads, rivers and drainpipes. 

2. We dump 12 million metric tons of plastic into our oceans every year. This is equivalent to 26 billion pounds, or more than 100,000 blue whales. By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh the ocean’s fish.

3. The debris we dump into the ocean has formed five “garbage patches”. The largest – the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – contains an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash. This covers an area twice the ENTIRE size of Texas.

4. A single-use plastic water bottle can take over 100 years to completely degrade in the ocean after it becomes microplastic. 

5. Indonesia and India contribute more plastic to the world’s coastal environments than the next seven countries combined, including the United States which is ranked third.

6. Over 700,000 synthetic microfibers can be washed into our waterways with each load of laundry. These plasticized fibers do not break down unlike natural materials such as cotton or wools. The number of plastic microfibers in the ocean at an estimated 4 million per square kilometer. 

7. Scientists estimate some 14 million metric tons of ocean garbage sits at the bottom of the ocean where humans cannot actually see it, which means we are unlikely to ever clean it. 

8. In 2004, scientists counted 146 hypoxic zones and by 2008, the number jumped to more than 400. Oceanographers detected a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico nearly the size of New Jersey in 2017. 

9. Increased ocean acidification – one of the many effects of greenhouse emissions – makes it more difficult for bivalves such as mussels, clams, and oysters to form shells.

10. Noise pollution generated by shipping and military activity can cause cellular damage to a class of invertebrates that includes jellyfish and anemones. These animals are a vital food source for several creatures, namely tuna, sharks, and sea turtle