Ocean Pollution Research Paper

Pollution has been a major problem in the world for decades, even centuries. Though humans have gotten better about keeping pollution out of the environment, pollution is still a very predominant problem. Ocean pollution is one of the less talked about problems, because mankind knows so little about the ocean. However, it is still a major issue. Oil has been a sizable cause of marine pollution. It causes problems to the plants and animals of the ocean, as well as affecting oceanic movements and even human life and activity. Though oil is an important part of human life, it can be deadly to animals. A study by marine scientists shows that exposure to oil and oil fumes can cause lung and adrenal lesions in bottlenose dolphins, which in turn
leads to complicated health problems (Fleur). Dolphins, when they do not detect the oil, can inhale the oil, which can lead to multiple complications, such as airway damage and death (The Effects). The oil can also damage a dolphin’s eyes, impair their immune systems, and affect the young via the mother’s breast milk. Dolphins must come to the surface to breath, which increases the likelihood of them being exposed to the oil (Effects). Whales, like dolphins, are vulnerable to the effects of oil spills. Since they filter feed, whales are likely to suck in oil along with the krill and plankton (The Effects). The substances left, particularly the sticky oils, damage the baleen plates ( The Effects). They are like dolphins in that if they surface to breath in an oil polluted environment, the oil could cause damage to air passages and death (The Effects). Dugongs, a mammal included in the sirenian family, are particularly vulnerable to oil pollution. Though they have smooth skin, these herbivores have sensory hairs around their mouths in order to locate food, and coming up for air while in polluted waters can damage these hairs, as well as get into their eyes, not only causing infections, inflammation, but even possible breeding problems (The Effects). If accidentally consumed, the oil can cause a range of organ damage and liver problems (The Effects). Inhaling the oil can cause lipid pneumonia (The Effects). Sea Lions, Seals, and Walruses are extremely susceptible to effects from oil pollution in their habitats.
Seals spend a great deal of their time on the surface, as they need to breath every few minutes (The Effects). This puts them at great risk of coming into contact with any oil that may be in the area where they are surfacing or hauling out onto land (The Effects). Oil inhibits the mobility of fur seals by making it more difficult to move their flippers or cause more water friction, and young pups can even have their flippers stuck to their bodies, leading to drowning (The Effects). The oil can also cause sand and debris to stick to the pinnipeds, which weighs them down (The Effects). Mothers, in an attempt to clean their pups, may even ingest the oil (The Effects). Oil can also mask the scent of a pup and lead mothers to believe that their pups are not part of the pack, which can cause them to not feed their young or even abandon them (The Effects). The pups also spend much more time near the shores than adults do, increasing their vulnerability further (The Effects). When the pinnipeds ingest or inhale the oil, their sensitive tissue comes under attack (The
Effects). Seabirds are very sensitive to oil, both internally and externally (The Effects).
According to John W. Farrington, it is not uncommon for them to be smothered when they come into direct contact with oil spills (9). Drowning, starvation, dehydration, and hypothermia can all take effect on oiled birds (The Effects). The oil also mats the feathers of seabirds, causing inhibited flight abilities (The Effects). Oiled feathers also causes loss of buoyancy, as well as a breakdown of water-resistant insulation provided by the feathers (The Effects). When they attempt to preen, the birds may ingest the oil (The Effects). The oil can also cause eye, skin, mouth, and nasal irritation and ulcers, as well as poisoning (The Effects). Sea turtles, whose population on Earth are already dwindling, are a large concern in the presence of oil. Breeding season, when the turtles are near beaches in order to lay their eggs, are a particularly dangerous time for these animals (The Effects). Any newly hatched eggs that crawl towards the oiled waters could potentially be oiled themselves, which can lead to several complications (The Effects). Major organs can be damaged, as well as the mucus membranes, such as those in a turtle’s eyes and nose (The
Effects). The responses of fish are rather different from the other sea creatures affected by oil spills. They are sensitive to the oil, especially their larvae, which is to be expected (The Effects). However, unlike some other seagoing creatures, fish may actually be attracted to the oil, as it seems to be a floating object (The Effects). Fish use floating objects for numerous things, such as shelter or a hiding place from predators, protection from birds, to use less energy while swimming, or just as an orientation point (The Effects). Young fish and larvae in particular are sensitive to the oil, however, because much of the population is lost due to predators, the amount of fish lost in oil spills is small compared to the other, larger losses (The Effects). Some fish also live in habitats that are commonly affected by oil spills (The Effects).