Polluting impact of humans on the oceans

[trux]

Revealed: polluting impact of humans on the oceans - Science, News - Independent.co.uk

Almost every part of the world's oceans has been tainted to some extent by the destructive footprint of human activity, whether it is from overfishing and pollution or commercial shipping and coastal development.

oceans_16260a.jpg

For the first time, scientists have compiled a comprehensive map of the oceans showing the extent to which they have been damaged by man. The map integrates 17 different kinds of human activity – such as nitrogen fertilisers being washed into the sea from farming – and 20 types of ocean ecosystem, from coral reefs to mangrove forests, to study which parts of the marine environment have suffered most. The scientists found more than 40 per cent of the oceans bear the scars of serious environmental degradation and that only a small percentage have remained as pristine regions free of human influence.

The team of American scientists said the extent of the damage caused by man came as a shock although they believe the information they compiled could be used to improve the conservation and future protection of the marine environment.

The worst affected waters include large areas of the North Sea, the South and East China seas, the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic off the east coast of North America, the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the Bering Sea, parts of the western Pacific and the Persian Gulf.

[nostres]

Originally Posted by trux

Revealed: polluting impact of humans on the oceans - Science, News - Independent.co.uk

Trux, I am very surprised with this article for it didn't mention the biggest polluted area. Yes, they mention Carribean region ( my friends just got back from diving Jamaica very dissapointed and sad after seeing their grey reefs)

But there is nothing about the BIGGEST part of polluted ocean between west coast of US and Japan - huge area of floating trash, mostly plastic the size of whole United States!

[sheepeck]

Pretty depressing. Especially the fact that there are almost no blue areas on that map.

[trux]

Originally Posted by nostres

But there is nothing about the BIGGEST part of polluted ocean between west coast of US and Japan - huge area of floating trash, mostly plastic the size of whole United States!

That's because this article speaks especially about chemical pollution and its impact on marine habibat, while the trash is more mechanical than chemical pollution. On the other hand, it has impact on the habibat too - and indeed if you look at the pollution map, you can see that practically the entire northern Pacific area is marked orange anyway (medium high to high impact) even in parts quite remote from any direct pollution source.

[island_sands]

The UAE has one of the world's highest levels of domestic waste. Per capita household waste has reached an average annual 730 kilos in Abu Dhabi and 725 kilos in Dubai. In the US the average is 710 kilos, in Australia 690 kilos and in the UK 300 kilos. Additional refuse comes from street litter, gardens and from the waste dumped in the sea and on beaches.

Humanity's demand on the Earth's resources, and our ecological footprint or demand, currently exceeds the available biocapacity by around 22%.

[joe123321]

Depressing

[aegean]

Thats bad

[ILDiver]

Originally Posted by sheepeck

Pretty depressing. Especially the fact that there are almost no blue areas on that map.

They are hard to see, but it looks like the north tip of Aus has a touch of blue. But there are others, unfortunately, very cold places. North of Canada and Siberia and around Antarctica. But still a very scary picture indeed.

The people with the power to make change won't even touch the issue. It would have huge economic impact. And the 90% of the people on earth don't even care about what is happening to the Earth, just what they can obtain next at all cost. A vast amount of people never see the ocean and figure the problem does not even involve them.

How do you fight this?

[ILDiver]

Originally Posted by sheepeck

Pretty depressing. Especially the fact that there are almost no blue areas on that map.

They are hard to see, but it looks like the north tip of Aus has a touch of blue. But there are others, unfortunately, very cold places. North of Canada and Siberia and around Antarctica. But still a very scary picture indeed.

The people with the power to make change won't even touch the issue. It would have huge economic impact. And the 90% of the people on earth don't even care about what is happening to the Earth, just what they can obtain next at all cost. A vast amount of people never see the "ocean" and figure the problem does not even involve them. Even though it's all water that has issues.

How do you fight this?