Marine Pollution
Marine pollution refers to a range of threats from land-based sources, and it generally involves contamination of bodies of water such as rivers, streams and oceans. Major causes of marine pollution include oil spills, untreated sewage, marine litter, radioactive substances, and heavy metals from mine tailings, persistent organic pollutants, eutrophication and heavy siltation. It also encompasses overfishing and marine habitat destruction. Agricultural run-off, especially Nitrogen, is heavily discharged into rivers and is eventually carried to oceans. This presents a serious threat to marine ecosystems and also human health. Most of these pollutants accumulate at the depths of oceans and are ingested by small marine organisms, thereby entering the global food chain.
- Sewage
- Mercury pollution in the ocean
- Toxic chemicals from industries
- Land runoff
- Large scale oil spills
- Deep Sea mining
- Littering
- Effect of toxic wastes on marine animals