Ocean, River & Coastlines Pollution

Many human activities such as industrial production, burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, and product use generate pollutants that can find their way into the ocean. It is now known that some pollutants can significantly alter marine ecosystems and cause death or damage to species from the top to the bottom of the food web. The majority of pollutants that make their way into the ocean originate far inland and are transported to the ocean via rivers or through the air.
Ocean pollution, also known as marine pollution, is a complex mixture of toxic metals, plastics, manufactured chemicals, petroleum, urban and industrial wastes, pesticides, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, agricultural runoff, and sewage.

There are two sources of ocean pollution including:

1-Land-based sources:

This includes waste disposal, agriculture and industrial activities that result in the release of pollutants into the ocean. The discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater, including household, industrial and agricultural runoff, is a major contributor to ocean pollution. Land-based sources account for approximately 80% of ocean pollution globally.

2- Ocean-based sources:

Ocean-based sources (i.e., direct inputs from maritime and industrial activities, such as shipping, fishing, mining, oil refining, oil and gas exploration and exploitation) may be permanent chronic sources of pollution in the marine environment, and also include the potential for acute pollution events.

It is estimated that, on average, around 80–90% of ocean plastic originates from land-based sources. It appears that the lack of efficient collection schemes and proper waste management facilities in the municipalities in many countries is a major contributor to this marine pollution.