User:Jeremiah Hassel/sandbox

Why is it bad?
Marine Pollution is a growing problem on today's Earth. Our Seas are being flooded with many types of pollution: According to National Geographic Society trash poses dangers to both humans and animals. Fish become tangles and injured in the debris, and some fish mistake items such as plastic bags for their food and eat them. Smaller organisms feed on tiny broken-down plastic bits called microplastic, and absorb the chemicals from the plastic into their tissues.
 * chemical contamination
 * items being picked up from runoff from rivers
 * plastic such as bottles and straws
 * non-biodegradable items

How it affects humans?
There are many chemicals that can contaminate our water and our food chain by affecting the marine life involved. These chemicals usually are oil, mercury, lead and pesticides are just a few to name. If humans are exposed to these toxic chemicals for long period of time, it can result in serious and fatal health problems; which include hormonal issues, reproductive issues, and damage to our nervous systems and kidneys. If you didn't know how much the ocean helps us, here are a few ways the ocean helps us: If you would like to learn more on the importance or dangers it has on humans you can check out https://www.planetaid.org/blog/how-ocean-pollution-affects-humans
 * 70% of the oxygen we breathe are from marine plants
 * 97% of the Earth's water supply is contained in the ocean
 * It regulates our weather and climate patterns by transporting heat from the equator to the poles
 * Very important source for food
 * Transportation and trade are mainly used on the water or over it

How did pollution get this bad
Most Ocean pollution begins on land, so you can blame humans for the harsh reality that we are destroying our own oceans. Around 80% of pollution in the Ocean comes from the land masses that surround it. a big contributor to this is called nonpoint source pollution; which is a result of runoff from higher grounds. It includes many sources such as:
 * Septic tanks
 * Cars
 * Trucks
 * Boats

Some Larger resources include:
 * Farms
 * Ranches
 * Forest Area

Millions of motor vehicle engines drop oil every day, even if it's just small amounts, much of this makes its way to the ocean to further pollute our Earth. According to https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/pollution.html Each year, millions of dollars are spent to protect and restore areas damaged by nonpoint source pollution. NOAA works with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, and other federal agencies to develop ways to control nonpoint source pollution. These agencies then monitor, asses, and limit nonpoint pollution that may result naturally by human activity without us paying and attention to it. NOAA's Coastal Zone Management Program is helping to create special nonpoint source pollution control plans for each coastal state participating in the program. When nonpoint source pollution does cause problems, NOAA scientists help track down the exact causes and find solutions.

How can we stop or slow down polluting our oceans
Everyone can do something to help reduce the amount of plastic that enters the ocean. https://www.oceanicsociety.org/blog/1720/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today says Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to our ocean. Anywhere between four to 12 million metric tons of plastic enter the Ocean each year; that is enough to cover every foot of coastline on the planet. If we don't stop that now, it is projected to double in the next 10 years. Someone might not know that plastic impacts the lives of sea turtles, whales, seabirds, fish, coral reefs, and more marine species and/or habitats. Scientist believe that more than half of sea turtles and every kind of seabird around the world have had some sort of plastic in their diet. Those are the lucky ones who have not died form getting tangled in it or choking on it. So what can you do to help stop the terrible things that are happening to our ocean? there are a few things; for one you can stop using single use plastics and buy a bottle or straw that is made of metal or glass. Not only does it stop you from polluting the ocean, it also helps you save money in the long run. Another thing you can do is participate in a Beach or River Cleanup. Usually a school or community event but you can also do it yourself. It is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to fight ocean plastic pollution. Imagine how you would feel after a day of being at the beach and walking away with a trash bag full of plastic bottles. Or you can also just donate to organizations that do this if you don't want to do it yourself. the easiest way to find one is to just google them.

What are the future benefits of stopping Marine pollution
There are countless benefits of our ocean not being polluted. Recycling is one of the ways to stop pollution, it is seen on the environment and in human society. If it's good for the Earth, its good for us. If we are able to stop polluting now, you would see a surplus in Oxygen, because as mentioned previously marine plants are the biggest distributor of oxygen. If you care about the water you swim in at the beach then you would not want to swim in acidic water, which is what is happening now. With chemicals no longer being dumped in the ocean our waters would slowly heal and not be as acidic.

Ocean life such as Sea turtles, fish, crabs, seabirds, and even whales would have a better diet if they weren't eating so much plastic. Or they would live longer if they didn't get trapped in the plastic that is in their waters. https://www.importantindia.com/23704/marine-pollution-meaning-causes-effects-control-measures/ states that we should never think that our individual actions do not count when it comes to caring for our environment; because they do! if 1 person in every city started doing things to protect this planet and our oceans, they could influence more to do it and so on! So write to your local authority, and organize a beach clean up or fund a research team to help and figure out ways to stop pollution because there are so many different ways to stop pollution. We just need to work as a team.