Pollution and Effects on Marine Life (Essay Sample)

Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans and Its Negative Effects on Marine Life
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3/5/2015
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Article 1
Summary
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Article 2
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Article 3
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Article 4
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Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans and Its Negative Effects on Marine Life
Article 1
This article describes the current and the future global trends in utilization of plastic (Thompson, Swan, Moore, and vom Saal, 2009). It addresses the benefits of plastic to humanity and its negative effects. The article further examines the effects of plastic on the environment. It looks at its negative effects on marine environments and wildlife.
The article states that accumulation of plastic waste is a widespread problem that has been reported extensively by researchers. Plastic waste constitutes a large percentage of the debris found in marine environments. Previous studies focusing on the effects of plastic waste on animals were done in marine habitats. Previous surveys also indicate that densely populated coastlines as well as the remote shorelines have been polluted by plastic. Consequently, there have been numerous reports of injury to marine animals. The injury sustained by marine animals varies from entanglement to problems associated with ingestion (Thompson, Swan, Moore, and vom Saal, 2009). Other studies also indicate that plastic is capable of disintegrating in the oceans. This disintegration is feared to worsen the problem. Available data indicates that marine organisms can ingest the resultant fragments. Ingested material may accumulate in the organisms causing toxicity. The toxic compounds may be transferred to other animals in the food chain (Thompson, Swan, Moore, and vom Saal, 2009). Accumulation of toxic plastic fragments has been demonstrated in wildlife.
The authors of this article attempt to give possible solutions to the problem. They join previous authors in advocating for more research focusing on biodegradable plastic. Such a material would lessen the effects of plastic on marine environments. They further give other practical solutions to the problem including reusing, recycling, and reducing plastic.
All the authors of this article have institutional affiliation. All the authors except one are affiliated to either marine biology institutions or biological science institutions. Shanna Swan is a member of the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rochester University. However, it is evident that this author’s input was required in this study. The article has a section that deals with effects of plasticizers and plastic on humans. This section needed the input of a researcher in the medical sciences.
The authors of this article relied on articles and research published in refereed journals. Therefore, the information presented is accurate.
A notable bias in the article is the failure by the authors to declare the financers of the project. It is important to declare the source of funds so that readers can judge whether there was any influence by the financers.
Article 2
The article focuses on monitoring sources of plastic pollutants, abundance of the plastic waste, and the effects of plastic litter on marine ecosystems (Ryan, Moore, van Franeker, and Moloney, 2009).
Plastic debris derives from either land or ships. The land-based sources include surface runoff, human activity at beaches, wastewater drainage systems, and wind. However, each of these sources can be modified by external factors. Ship-based sources refer to disposal of wastes from ships into the sea. The amount of plastic waste arising from this source is difficult to quantify owing to the difficulty associated with ship-waste monitoring. Source monitoring can be used to formulate policies aimed at mitigating the problem.
Littering of marine environments can be monitored using at-sea surveys and beach surveys (Ryan, Moore, van Franeker, and Moloney, 2009).
. Beach surveys provide useful information on the state of marine ecosystems. The information obtained includes types of waste, sources of waste, and the rate of buildup of litter. A review of the literature by the authors of this article reveals consistent patterns. The literature shows that marine littering is greatest in places that are densely populated and in beaches that receive many visitors. The literature further shows that plastic waste constitutes the largest portion of marine litter. However, data from various sources are not compared owing to differences in type of data and methodologies used. Surveys carried out in the sea are used to monitor litter loads and composition. This method is not suitable for monitoring accumulation rates due to confounding factors like ocean currents. At-sea surveys conducted on board ships and boats indicate that plastic debris makes up the largest portion of both floating and seabed debris. Plastic debris also appears to be a major component of suspended sea litter.
Plastic litter is detrimental to marine ecosystems and the organisms that reside in them. Entanglement and ingestion are the most widely studied effects (Ryan, Moore, van Franeker, and Moloney, 2009).
Entanglement affects a large number of marine organisms. Monitoring the frequency of entanglement can offer insight into the amount of plastic litter. It can be used to estimate the changes in amount of plastic waste that causes entanglement. Monitoring entanglement rates is particularly useful in assessing the effectiveness of control measures. However, this method of monitoring is limited by the fact that entanglement is a rare phenomenon. Data that is obtained in this manner may not be reliable. Ingestion of plastic debris is common among some species. Birds have been studied extensively. Changes in amount and type of plastic litter may be tracked by studying the stomach contents of dead birds. Using this method is more cost effective than ship-based at-sea surveys. Previous surveys indicate that there was a steady increase in plastic sea debris starting in 1960 and peaking in about 30 years. Differences in composition and amount of stomach contents indicate differences in abundance of debris in their foraging areas. Recent studies show that the amount of plastic litter in the sea has been declining. The results indicate that the reduction begun about two decades ago. This implies that there was a decline in the amount of waste entering the sea during this period. The authors observe that this may be attributed to the various mitigation measures that have been put in place.
The authors of this article are affiliated to either a department of marine studies or a department of zoology. The content presented in the article required mainly the input of marine biologists or scientists.
The data is largely sourced from refereed journals. However, the authors cite unpublished data in the article in one instance. Unpublished data is not considered authoritative. Nevertheless, the authors point out that the subject matter in question does not have sufficient research material.
The authors have declared the source of the money used to finance the research.
Article 3
This article is a review of the literature available on the effects of plastic litter on marine ecosystems. The article notes that the problem has been increasing with increase in production of plastic items (Gregory, 2009). The sources of litter are either land-based or marine-based. Marine-based sources are regarded as the most problematic (Gregory, 2009). The most observed problems include suffocation, ingestion, entanglement, starvation, debilitation, disturbance of esthetic appeal, and hazards to maritime activities (Gregory, 2009).
Plastic debris found in the sea or along the shorelines is unsightly (Gregory, 2009). Disturbance of the physical appeal of the marine environment carries a number of consequences. First, it may cause a decline in the number of visitors to the beaches thus contributing to reduction in tourism revenue. Second, it presents a political problem. Governments may be blamed for the problem.
Entanglement is a widespread problem that affects many species in the marine ecosystem (Gregory, 2009). Materials that are responsible for the entanglement are mainly made of plastic and they can be traced to human activities like fishing. This problem increased when items made of plastic material replaced biodegradable fishing items like ropes, nets, and cords. These items could be discarded deliberately into the ocean or are lost during fishing. The effects of entanglement are varied. Most animals starve to death. Entanglement also makes it difficult for the impacted animal to escape predators. Some plastic items may strangle the marine animals. Other problems associated with entanglement include ulceration, wound infection, and altered feeding pattern.
Many marine animals ingest plastic debris. This problem is particularly pronounced in birds. Birds may ingest plastic fragments and virgin pellets. Ingestion of these items may damage the gastrointestinal tract or cause starvation. Hungry birds may ingest plastic thus getting a false feeling of satiety. The material may also reduce the reproductive capacity of the birds. It has also been noted that plastic particles may harm the birds by adsorbing toxic compounds from the environment.
Previous research indicates that plastic debris often sinks to the bottom of the sea. This is facilitated by various mechanisms. The sunken debris forms a blanket-like sheet that inhibits gaseous exchange. The resulting anoxia and hypoxia have catastrophic effects on deep-sea organisms. It has also been observed by other researchers that the ha...