Ocean Pollution

Plastics have transformed every aspect of our lives. Yet the very properties that make them attractive--they are cheap to make, light, and durable--spell disaster when trash makes its way into the environment. Plastic Soup: An Atlas of Ocean Pollution is a beautifully-illustrated survey of the plastics clogging our seas, their impacts on wildlife and people around the world, and inspirational initiatives designed to tackle the problem. With striking photography and graphics, Plastic Soup brings plastic pollution to brilliant life for readers. According to some estimates, if we continue on our current path, the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by the year 2050. Created to inform and inspire readers, Plastic Soup is a critical tool in the fight to reverse this trend.

During the recent decades, social, political and academic endeavours have been made to improve environmental quality and reduce pollution. In particular, the ocean, sea and coastal areas show varying degrees of impact from the multiple human activities carried out in the terrestrial as well as in the aquatic environment. Ecology is a science which studies the relationship between organisms and the surrounding environment and in the modern era, the marine world is getting increasing attention. For centuries it has been the final reservoir of human garbage; later it became an oil farm with a concomitant increase of coastal population growth and unplanned growth of the fishing industry and the increasing use of sea routes for cargo transport and recreational uses (cruises). All this led to rising contamination with negative effects on biota and even human health. It is then imperative to know the current situation of the world's oceans: that is the main purpose of this book, to document at a glance the latest research in the field of ocean pollution.

Where does garbage in the ocean come from, and how can it harm ocean animals? How do poisonous chemicals end up in our oceans? What is an oil spill, and how does it hurt wildlife and seashore habitats? Polluted Oceans introduces young readers to the issues of pollution due to the dumping of garbage, chemicals, and other things into our planet’s seas. It also gives students plenty of ideas for ways that they can be part of the campaign to help keep our oceans clean and safe for the future. Filled with information perfectly suited to the abilities and interests of an early-elementary audience, this colorful, fact-filled volume includes grade-appropriate activities and experiments, critical-thinking questions, and fascinating fact boxes to keep the pace lively and interactive.

Ocean Pollution provides a unique look at the effects of estuarine and coastal pollution on resource species. One of the primary objectives of the book is to provide an accurate assessment of the state of the inshore marine environment and its inhabitants. Coastal habitat degradation is discussed, and principal findings from modeling and other research efforts are analyzed and evaluated. The research undertaken thus far extends beyond the effects of pollution on resource population size to disease effects in fish and humans, effects on aquaculture, and effects on productive systems of the oceans. These far-reaching consequences - and potential consequences - of ocean pollution are expertly presented, and suggestions for mitigation are made. Realistic scenarios about the future effects of ocean pollution are outlined, providing a powerful tool for researchers and regulators.

While oceans are vast, they represent a fragile resource that must be protected if we want to protect our livelihoods and our planet. Marine pollution has been a topic of concern for a long time, and it has recently attracted the attention of scientists, environmentalists, economists, politicians and journalists in mainstream media. Besides providing food, transportation routes and other resources, the oceans serve as a heat absorbing sink which offsets the extreme heating effects of climate change, but only to a limited degree. Pollution in marine environments such as the oceans, poses a threat to coastal communities by affecting the fauna and flora in the environment and the health of the nearby population. This has a disruptive effect on the health and economy of these communities. Marine Pollution: Current Status, Impacts and Remedies emphasizes the limitations of marine resources that relevant environments provide. Readers will find chapters on methods to assess pollution as well as important information for identifying, measuring, and remediating various pollutants. The book also covers some known pollutants (heavy metals, organic pollutants, microplastics) and ways to manage these substances. Other issues covered in the book include problems caused by invasive species, and the ecological problems caused by pollutants which affect local fauna and flora. This book will prove to be a useful resource for students, researchers, and policymakers, who are working in environmental science, marine conservation and allied fields. [Series Intro] Marine Ecology: Current and Future Developments brings forth contemporary issues in the study of marine environments. The scope of the series includes ecological, toxicological and biological aspects of the topic. Each volume of the series focuses on a broad theme, with reviews contributed by several experts in the field. The series is essential reading for environmental scientists, ecologists, conservationists and marine biologists.

Our oceans are in an ecological crisis due to their contamination with millions of tons of toxic microplastic particles. In just a few years, the volume of microplastic particles will exceed that of plankton in our oceans and turn them into a huge sea of plastic. This publication brings together numerous international art projects related to environmental activities, DIY biotechnology, and science, and draws attention to the irreversible destruction of our marine ecosystems – the current threat posed by the loss of marine animal biodiversity, for example, or the decline in oxygen production due to massive plankton loss. It also presents current scientific findings on sustainable alternatives to plastic.

This book presents a broad overview of pollution issues facing climatic, economic, and legal globalization. Topics include changes in oceans from ancient times to the present, the importance of marine currents and changing climates, marine pollution linked to climate change (fossil fuels, global carbon dioxide, heavy metals, pesticides, plastics, emerging pollutants, and marine debris), global shipping and species invasion, global climate change in the Arctic and Antarctic environments, and regulatory responses to mitigate pollution and climate change in oceans.

Marine Pollution: Sources, Fate and Effects of Pollutants in Coastal Ecosystems bring together the theoretical background on common and emerging marine pollutants and their effects on organisms (ecotoxicology). Written by a well-renowned expert in the field who is a researcher, teacher and advisor of national and international institutions on issues, such as oil spills, water quality assessment and plastic pollution, the book offers a thorough account of the effects (ecotoxicology) of pollutants on marine organisms and the public health implications, along with the biological tools advocated by the international institutions for marine pollution monitoring. Marine Pollution: Sources, Fate and Effects of Pollutants in Coastal Ecosystems presents information in a rigorous and contrasted manner derived from a comprehensive review of solid scientific knowledge, but also illustrated with examples of practical applications. Contains up-to-date background levels and regulations on marine pollutants Conveys an in-depth analysis of the uptake, accumulation and fate of pollutants in the marine compartments Delivers a critical appraisal on biological tools for the practical monitoring of coastal pollution Includes a comprehensive glossary of technical terms and appendices with useful transversal information (units, acronyms, etc.)