Final Group Project

Ocean Pollution

Pollution is one of the oceans biggest problems that we are facing right now. Pollution in the Ocean is affecting the marine life in an incredibly fast speed today. Ocean pollution is affecting marine life directly and it’s affecting humans indirectly as well. Pollution in the Ocean varies starting from oil spills to toxic wastes to dumping of harmful materials; all play a huge part of ocean pollution. We should all be inform on what’s being dumped into the oceans that way we can help mediate the problem and hopefully do something to fix it.

Toxic wastes

Toxic wastes are materials that are harmful and poisonous; those are currently being dumped into the ocean. It is the most harmful form of pollution to humans and marine life. It Kills plants and many other organism. It is being passed along the food chain and eventually ending up in our seafood. It’s a known fact that thru these toxic chemicals in the ocean our fish population is slowing dying.

Lead

One of the most harmful chemicals found right now in the ocean is Lead. Lead can cause a great deal of harm to humans. It can damage our brain, kidneys and also our reproductive system. Not to mentioned that it can also cause birth defects. As if that was not enough, Lead can also cause low IQ, slow growth and hearing loss in kids. Lead can be found not too far from you. Some of objects that we can find lead in are, house and car paint, batteries some ceramic ware and water pipes.

Garbage

Garbage dumping is another huge problem when we talk about ocean pollution. Humans dump their garbage in the oceans as if were a huge dump without thinking that by doing so we are killing many living organisms. This garbage comes from bathing water or plastics. Needleless to say that this dumping of garbage in the ocean can affect the marine life and eventually putting human’s life at risk.

Many things found in the ocean are harmful to the human health. Medical waste is also being dumped in the oceans. Giving the chance to humans to eventually developing diseases such as Hepatitis or even greater infections. People are now trying to recycle to reduce the ocean pollution.

In earlier times, Florida was known to be uninhabitable because of the existence of some swamps all along its canals. It used to be rich in species over its wildlife. But because of some developments created by man, it now belongs to a region with significant level of biodiversity exposed to threat of destruction. Deforestation and other forms of agricultural clearing have brought Florida down to be one of the most degraded areas in the entire US. Due to this degradation of its ecological habitats, it has become a home for critically endangered endemic species in the ocean. Researchers have it that the less rainforest a given region has, the greater proportion of endangered species it hosts.

Here are the most critically endangered species in Florida:

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta Caretta) is the most common ocean specie in South Florida. A loggerhead turtle’s top shell, carapace and flippers are mostly ginger in color while its bottom shell is usually yellow. Known to have been extinct, this turtle used to live in tropical regions of Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. However, since its natural habitat has started to be industrialized, this specie and all species alike are now endangered to extinction.

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) is considered to be one of the largest among all other eight species over warm waters. These turtles were once abundant but because of some human activities like hunting, they have now become lesser in population. Their colorful heart-shaped shells attracted most of the hunters. Likewise, the breeding population of green sea turtles somewhere in Florida has now been identified as at risk.

Florida Manatees (Tricherus Manatus Latirstris) is a non-territorial herbivore that usually feeds and rests from 6-8 hours and 2-12 hours respectively in one day. The rest of the time during the day is mostly used in travelling in order to explore some objects and interact with other similar species. All manatees are mammals, thus, they must go down the ocean surface in order to breathe and survive. But they can actually hold their breath when resting for 20 minutes long. These manatees are also good in the sense of hearing although they don’t have any visible ear lobes.

Yet again, these are just three of the most critically endangered. There are more that are susceptible to extinction too. Still, some remain unnoticed. According to Dr. Norman Meyer of Oxford University, not any single specie disappears all by itself. If ever they come into extinction, all its similar genes also follow. Some species, rare finds and threatened, may cease to exist even without being given a name. Perhaps extinction is natural but if we, humans alike are hastening the process, then probably our race comes with the extinction as well.

Global Warming

How does global warming affect sea animals?

Changing Ocean Conditions

As if overfishing and coastal pollution were not destructive enough, global warming posed a potentially lethal threat to many marine species. Rising global temperature affects marine life in many ways both directly and indirectly. The world's oceans now absorb millions of tons global warming gas each year, and thus help to slow the pace of climate change. Global warming increases the rate of "ocean acidification" and is damaging some of the most important living organisms in the sea's food web. As a result there is habitat loss. The loss of habitats results in migration and loss of sea animals. Such migration is seriously affected by the increasing rate of destruction of natural habitats. An increasing occurrence of disease in marine animals is also linked to rising ocean temperatures.

Habbit Loss

Temperature rises are impacting on the entire marine food web. As a result of Global warming there is reduced production of phytoplankton in the world's oceans. Phytoplankton are the microscopic plant life that zooplankton and other marine animals eat, essentially the grain crop of the world's oceans.

For example, phytoplankton, which feeds small crustaceans including krill, grow under sea ice. A reduction in sea ice implies a reduction in krill - and krill feeds many whale species, including the great whales. Some penguin populations, for example, have decreased by 33 percent in parts of Antarctica, because of habitat decline.


Whales and dolphins strand themselves in high temperatures. The great whales also risk losing their feeding grounds, in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, because of the melting and collapse of ice shelves. In the sea the disappearance of the tiny organisms that the larger creatures feed off of is causing the sea life to migrate northward. Rising temperatures in the oceans put right whales, coral, and other animal life at risk for food shortages and new diseases.

Animals affected
Whole species of marine animals and fish are directly at risk due to the temperature rise - they simply cannot survive in warmer waters. Salmon and other fish are shifting their distribution poleward. Reef fish, crabs, and snails in California provide evidence of this.
Changing ocean conditions and coastal development threaten to outpace the sea turtles' ability to adapt. Found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea, the animals are highly endangered.

Keeping in mind that global warming plays a huge part in our weather and climate, the increased storminess destroys the breeding colonies of the albatross that already battle the possibility of being captured and killed by fishing boats. The rise in sea levels wipe out the nesting sites of the sea turtles, seals and wading birds are also on the list of species to be affected by their habitats being destroyed.

Predators near the top of the food web such as seabirds and marine mammals are greatly affected by the decline in habitat. As a result their is decreased reproduction and an increase of mortality rate.

What is the Endangered Species Act?

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was enacted to preserve endangered and threatened species and the habitats on which they depend for survival. An "endangered" species is one that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. A "threatened" species is one that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

The ESA works in two stages: First, the government protects a species from possible extinction, and then it takes steps to restore the species' numbers to the point where it is no longer threatened.

A species may also be categorized as a "candidate" for protection if the USFWS finds that an ESA listing is "warranted" but "precluded" by other priorities. What this means in practice is that the USFWS may determine that a species meets the criteria for inclusion on either list, but that the agency has other, higher priority candidates that need more immediate attention.

What Can I Do to Stop Global Warming? Please enter a brief description.

What Can I Do to Stop Global Warming? If I do this: I can reduce this much CO2: Wash your clothes in warm or cold water, not hot Up to 500 lbs. a year for two loads a week Turn down your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees 500 lbs. a year for each 10-degree reduction Clean or replace air filters in air conditioners Up to 175 lbs. a year per filter Use public transportation, walk or bike to school or work 22 lbs. for every gallon of gasoline you save Use energy-efficient appliances and weatherize your home 3000 lbs. a year if you replace your old refrigerator with an efficient model Use renewable energy sources--like solar heat or wind power - which don't emit carbon dioxide. Billions of lbs. per year Only run a FULL dishwasher, don't use heat-dry cycle 200 lbs. per year Replace light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs 250 lbs. per one frequently used bulb (be sure to dispose of these bulbs properly as they contain mercury) Install low-flow shower heads to flow of hot water Up to 300 lbs. per year Buy a car with good gas mileage Up to2500 lbs. per year per 10 mpg more than your old car

It may be hard to imagine all the bad things we have done to coral reefs, but there are also things we can do to save the coral reefs. When you go to an ocean do not touch, sit on, or stand on the coral. We can try to help decrease pollution by not using lights, TVs, radios, washing machines, dryers, hair

dryers, cars, microwaves, air conditioners, video games, and dish washer as much as we do now. If you go fishing in an ocean where there is coral, don’t use objects or chemicals that will harm or damage the coral reefs and any other things in the ocean