Effects of a Toxic Ocean
Earth has gone through various changes in climate over the span of its existence. These changes are natural and healthy for the environment. Recently, however, there has been a fluctuation in climate, not caused by the inner workings of the earth. Humans have created many different substances that provide many uses such as packaging and a lightweight, cheap building material. An example of this is plastic; it is a very useful tool, but it has its downfalls. Plastic cannot biodegrade as easily as other materials like paper. Once it is made, there is no way to eliminate plastic from the world (Longo and Clark). Instead of finding environmentally friendly alternatives to stop this pandemic, earth’s vast oceans have become …show more content…
“Since humans are not marine creatures, these spaces can easily be regarded as socially irrelevant” (Longo and Clark). Many sea creatures mistake floating pieces of plastic for food. If an animal eats this garbage, its chemical properties will dissolve into that animal’s muscles and organs. And this process does not stop there. Once that animal is consumed by another, the same chemical properties transfer to the other and so on (Tibbetts). And this epidemic does not go away once marine animals are harvested from the ocean. These organisms will still have the same toxins in their muscles as they did inside the ocean. This means humans are at the same risk of ingesting these toxins as any sea-faring organism …show more content…
“[U]ltraviolet light and heat from the sun increase [the plastic’s] brittleness, causing it to weaken, crack, and break up into smaller and smaller fragments” (Ackerman). Global warming effects the the oceans. A warming ocean causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt which then raise the amount of flowing water. Rising temperatures of the oceans means that carbon dioxide levels rise. This is called “ocean acidification” (Longo and Clark). One article states ocean acidification causes the shrinking of marine animals. These creatures must adapt to the lowered levels of oxygen (Barras). “This phenomenon is known as the “Lilliput Effect”” (Barras). This anomaly has happened before and with ocean acidification, it seems quite possible it will happen again. An example of this effect are sea snails. Because oxygen levels are dwindling, the only way to survive is to decrease in size along with the oxygen (Barras). Richard Twitchett, a researcher from the Natural History Museum in London, states that many marine animals are mutating along with the snails to survive. It is said that some organisms have “shrank by one-third or more”
Earth has gone through various changes in climate over the span of its existence. These changes are natural and healthy for the environment. Recently, however, there has been a fluctuation in climate, not caused by the inner workings of the earth. Humans have created many different substances that provide many uses such as packaging and a lightweight, cheap building material. An example of this is plastic; it is a very useful tool, but it has its downfalls. Plastic cannot biodegrade as easily as other materials like paper. Once it is made, there is no way to eliminate plastic from the world (Longo and Clark). Instead of finding environmentally friendly alternatives to stop this pandemic, earth’s vast oceans have become …show more content…
“Since humans are not marine creatures, these spaces can easily be regarded as socially irrelevant” (Longo and Clark). Many sea creatures mistake floating pieces of plastic for food. If an animal eats this garbage, its chemical properties will dissolve into that animal’s muscles and organs. And this process does not stop there. Once that animal is consumed by another, the same chemical properties transfer to the other and so on (Tibbetts). And this epidemic does not go away once marine animals are harvested from the ocean. These organisms will still have the same toxins in their muscles as they did inside the ocean. This means humans are at the same risk of ingesting these toxins as any sea-faring organism …show more content…
“[U]ltraviolet light and heat from the sun increase [the plastic’s] brittleness, causing it to weaken, crack, and break up into smaller and smaller fragments” (Ackerman). Global warming effects the the oceans. A warming ocean causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt which then raise the amount of flowing water. Rising temperatures of the oceans means that carbon dioxide levels rise. This is called “ocean acidification” (Longo and Clark). One article states ocean acidification causes the shrinking of marine animals. These creatures must adapt to the lowered levels of oxygen (Barras). “This phenomenon is known as the “Lilliput Effect”” (Barras). This anomaly has happened before and with ocean acidification, it seems quite possible it will happen again. An example of this effect are sea snails. Because oxygen levels are dwindling, the only way to survive is to decrease in size along with the oxygen (Barras). Richard Twitchett, a researcher from the Natural History Museum in London, states that many marine animals are mutating along with the snails to survive. It is said that some organisms have “shrank by one-third or more”