Ocean Garabge

Ocean Garbage

Ocean garbage is a type of ocean pollution that is not only affecting both the health of animals but is also affecting the health of humans as well. “There are 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. Of that mass, 269,000 tons float on the surface, while some four billion plastic microfibers per square kilometer litter the deep sea” (Parker, 2015, para.2). Oceans are home to uncountable numbers of species and organisms. FIsh and other animals are consuming this garbage and we are subsequently eating the animals which has caused plastic to enter our food chain; animals are also getting physically harmed by the garbage (Andrews, 2016, para.1). Toxins in the plastic have been linked to cancers, birth defects, immune system problems, and childhood developmental issues (Andrews, 2016, para.9). The garbage in the oceans are also damaging boats, ships, and submarine equipment (Silverman, 2007, para.1).

Garbage patches in the ocean exist all around the world. “Gyres are large systems of circulating ocean currents, kind of like slow-moving whirlpools. Though the oceans are home to many gyres, there are five—the North Atlantic Gyre, the South Atlantic Gyre, the North Pacific Gyre, the South Pacific Gyre, and the Indian Ocean Gyre—that have a significant impact on the ocean. The big five help drive the so-called oceanic conveyor belt that helps circulate ocean waters around the globe. But in doing so, they also draw in the pollution that we release in coastal areas” (Pierre-Louis, 2017, para.4). That is where most of the garbage patches in the ocean are found. Cleaning up the garbage is extremely difficult but we need to start in order to prevent further damage to the Earth.

The garbage in the ocean don’t decompose so they break down into tiny pieces which harms both the marine wildlife and the environment. Marine animals eat the tiny pieces of plastic or feed it to their children and the toxic chemicals from the garbage enter their body which can be fatal (“Marine Debris Impacts”, n.d., para.5). The animals also get trapped in the plastic nets and garbage that doesn’t break down (“Marine Debris Impacts”, n.d., para.6). The plastic also releases toxic chemicals into the ocean which can kill plants and other organisms.

In the September of 2016, more than 40 tons of garbage was collected from the shorelines of Vancouver Island alone. “Some even estimate there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050” (Hooper, 2014, para.8).

Ocean garbage requires cleanup which will cost billions of dollars; some pollutants also cost more money to clean up than others. is killing fish which causes fishing industries to lose money (Water Pollution Guide, n.d., para.4). “Researchers for the first time have put a price tag on the environmental damage done by the millions of tons of plastic floating around the world’s oceans: $13 billion a year” (Kirby, 2014, para.1). “California, Oregon, and Washington alone spend an estimated $500 million a year removing waste from the Pacific coastline” (Kirby, 2014, para.9). The garbage also damages boats and submarines which could cost millions to repair.

Ocean garbage has also affected tourism and fishing ( (Marine Debris Impacts, n.d., para.13). ).

Since cleaning up ocean garbage is extremely difficult because