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About 71% of the earth's total surface area is covered by Ocean. 97% of earths total water is
present in Oceans. It serves as rich source of biodiversity whose population may exceeds in
trillions. They are considered as the main regulatory agent of earth's climate. More than 60%
of the world's population find its habitat within 60 km of coastline and use it as source of
livelihood. It was alleged that humans which lives only on one-third of the portion of globe,
cannot pollute this vast amount of ocean, as this ecosystem are capable of serving as sink for
all the pollution caused by us. However this is not true. Now we have realized that our waste,
even in small quantities have huge effects on ocean and marine species. Ocean pollution is
now a global issue in context of global warming and human health.
With the increase in population from 300 million people in 1947 to 2 billion now and
increasing economic development is putting a strain on countrys natural resources and
environment. Soil erosion, rapid industrialization, land degradation, and ocean pollution are
some worsening problems.
Overexploitation of the resources and the industrialization process has resulted in
environmental degradation of countrys resources. Environmental pollution is one of the most
serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today [1]. Water quality
is a vital aspect for the survival and well-being of the living resources, especially in the
coastal and estuarine areas. Some of these areas are now under the direct threat from the
increasing load of various types of pollution. Any attempt to increase the productivity of the
natural resources or by additional inputs like aquaculture is linked with the environment
problem. The environmental pressure due to pollution inputs and also due to human
interference on the ecosystem are on the increase. Information on marine environmental
damage from various sources of pollution and human interference becomes an obvious
necessity to evaluate the present level of pollution as well as to understand the impact on
living resources. The major pollutants like oil, sewage, garbage, toxic chemicals, pesticides,
heavy metal, radioactive waste and thermal pollution, their characteristics and impacts are
discussed in this research paper.

What is Pollution?
There are several definitions of pollution. For our purposes, ocean pollution is any substance
or energy that humans put in the ocean which causes harm to living things. There are two
key aspects of this definition. First, humans have to cause the pollution, and, second, the
pollution has to do harm to living organisms [2].
Environmental Management Act of British Columbia, Canada, defines pollution as:
the presence in the environment of substances or contaminants that substantially alter or
impair the usefulness of the environment [1].
Marine Pollution (UN definition) The introduction by man, directly, or indirectly, of
substances or energy to the marine environment resulting in deleterious effects such as:
hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities, impairment of the quality of
My opinion is that we can either use ocean as a waste dump or for recreation and food. Either
one is fine by me, using it for both is gross.
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seawater for various uses and reduction of amenities [2].
Type of Ocean Pollution [4]
Each type of pollution adversely affects ocean life, including plants and sea creatures. Once
contaminated by these pollution sources, delicate ecosystems are forever disrupted:
Oil
Petroleum products used for fuel are mined from the
earth deep below the ocean surfaces. Occasionally,
offshore drilling rigs experience accidental leaks.
Ships carrying oil have also been known to cause
devastating oil spills, but these are large-scale
disasters. Oil seepage occurs on a smaller but
continuous level, leaching from factories and other
plants. In fact, one of the greatest sources of oil
pollution is people who pour various cooking oils and
grease down the sink drains in their homes.
Dumping.


A portion of the billions if not trillions
of tons of trash produced each year finds
its way into ocean waters. This comes as
no surprise to anyone who has seen
plastic bottles and other waste floating
onto the beaches. Trash is often dumped
from ships and offshore drilling rigs
directly into the sea. Aside from trash,
industrial waste is one of the major
issues when it comes to ocean dumping.
These toxic chemicals, including
radioactive chemicals, are a death
sentence for ocean life forms.
Sewage
Animal waste and human wastewater from
toilets and other household activities such
as bathing and laundering as well as food
preparation are often washed directly into
the ocean from coastal communities.
Untreated sewage contains microbes or
pathogens that precipitate disease when
infected seafood is consumed or skin
contact occurs. In some cases, solid sludge
from treated sewage is also dumped into
the oceans.
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Plastics
Plastics have been called a man-made miracle
substance. Just think of all the items around you
that are made out of plastic: pens, pencils,
computer keyboards, combs, binders, car
dashboards, cups, straws, action figures, and much,
much more. Plastics are great because they can
easily be moulded in to a wide variety of forms and
are strong, durable, light- weight, and cheap to
manufacture strong, durable, light- weight, and
cheap to manufacture. Thus, you can make nearly anything out of them, the object will last, it
will be easy to carry, and everyone can afford to buy what you make. These advantages are
precisely what make plastics a dangerous ocean pollutant [1].
DDT, PCBs, and Mercury
DDT, PCBs, and mercury are examples of chemicals that are among the most common and
dangerous ocean pollutants. PCBs are a family of chemical compounds that are difficult to
break down. This made them valuable in many products10, particularly as insulators in
electronics, but it also makes them dangerous pollutants, because they br6eak down into their
harmless components very slowly.

My final example of a dangerous chemical in the ocean is
mercury. Like DDT and PCBs, mercury becomes dangerous
in the ocean via bioaccumulation: some bacteria use mercury
for a process like chemosynthesis, and then are eaten by
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zooplankton or release the mercury into the water where it can be absorbed by phytoplankton
(and other organisms) [1].


Metals
Introduction of dangerous metals include mercury, lead, and copper into the ocean is a great
concern because they enter into our food chain when we eat sea food. Fuel combustion,
electric utilities, steel and iron manufacturing, fuel oils, fuel additives and incineration of
urban refuse are the major sources of oceanic and atmospheric contamination by heavy
metals. Copper is dangerous to marine organisms and has been used in marine anti-fouling
paints. Mercury and lead poisoning cause brain damage and behavioural disturbances in
children [3].
Heavy metal entering into ocean.




Impact of Marine Pollution
1. Untreated or partially treated sewage effluent, or organically rich industrial effluent such as
that from fish processing plants, present a number of problems.
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2. Decomposition of organic matter causes a drop in dissolved oxygen, particularly in calm
weather and sheltered bays. This can cause the death of marine plants and animals, and may
lead to changes in biodiversity.
3. Pathogenic microorganisms
It causes gastric and ear-
nose- throat infections,
hepatitis, and even cholera
and typhoid. Filter feeding
animals (e.g. mussels, clams,
oysters) concentrate
pathogens in their gut, so
eating shellfish from polluted
waters is a health risk.



4. Oil Spill
Oil spills smother plants and animals,
preventing respiration. In seabirds and
mammals it can cause a breakdown in their
thermal insulation. Chemical toxicity can
cause behavioural changes, physiological
damage, or impair reproduction. Oil pollution
is an eyesore, and clean-up and subsequent
disposal of oily wastes is difficult.


5. Pesticides, such as DDT, and other persistent chemicals e.g. PCBs, accumulate in the fatty
tissue of animals. These chemicals can cause reproductive failure in marine mammals and
birds.
6. Ships often paint their hulls with anti-fouling substances, to prevent growth of marine
organisms. These substances leach into water and, in high traffic areas such as harbors and
marinas, can affect animal life. There is a worldwide trend towards limiting the use of TBT
containing paints.
7. Plastics kill many marine animals. Turtles, for example, often swallow floating plastic
bags, mistaking them for jelly- fish. Animals are often strangled when they become entangled
with plastic debris.

Pollution of Indian Seas
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India is a member state to the International Maritime Organization since 1959. IMO the
International Maritime Organization is the United Nations xi specialized agency with
responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution
by ships. India has signed and ratifies the most important regulations for preventing pollution
by oil from ships are contained in Annex I of the International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships, 1973, xii as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto
(MARPOL), The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS )xiii , 1974
also includes special requirements for tankers.
On January, 21, 2011, The Oil and Natural Gas Commission's (ONGC) Mumbai -Uran Trunk
Oil pipeline busted, caused a major oil spill, 80 kms away from Mumbai's coast. The Coast
Guard and Navy were immediately alerted and four ships, Dornier planes and Chetak
Helicopters were dispatched to tackle the oil spill. National Oil Spill Disaster Contingency
Plan is also being activated by the Coast Guard to ensure minimum damage to environment.
xiv Two merchant vessels- MSC Chitra and Khalijia-III collided off the Mumbai coast on
August 17, 2010 causing an oil spill. Several containers from one of the vessels fell into the
sea. Nearly 100 containers that fell into the waters following the collision \between two
merchant vessels off the Mumbai coast are still missing and two of them are carrying
hazardous chemicals reported on August 17, 2010. Describing the ship collision off the coast
of Mumbai as a freak accident, environment minister Jairam Ramesh said that India has
never seen an oil spill like the one resulting from the incident. xv
The ship Platinum-II arrived in Indian waters on 8 October, 2009 the ministry of environment
and forests said it inspected Platinum-II and found the ship contained toxic material. The
Platinum-II - formerly known as SS Oceanic or the SS Independence - was destined for the
Alang ship- breaking yard. It is Asia largest ship-breaking yard and known as the "graveyard
of ships". It said many of the workers tested showed early signs of asbestosis - an incurable
disease of the lungs. An unknown ship dumped tons of waste oil into the sea off Goa,
creating tar balls that were heaping on Goas famed beaches on September 1, 2010. xvi
Prevention of Marine Pollution
The Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other
Matter 1972 xvii , commonly called the " London Convention " or "LC '72555" and also
Barbie abbreviated as Marine Dumping , is an agreement to control pollution of the sea by
dumping and to encourage regional agreements supplementary to the Convention. It covers
the deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matter from vessels, aircraft, and platforms. It
does not cover discharges from land-based sources such as pipes and outfalls, wastes
generated incidental to normal operation of vessels, or placement of materials for purposes
other than mere disposal, providing such disposal is not contrary to aims of the Convention. It
entered into force in 1975. As of 2005, there were 81 Parties to the Convention. India is not a
member to the London Convention.

Pollution prevention
Pollution Prevention is about anticipating and preventing pollution instead of reacting to it
after the fact. Pollution prevention does not stand alone; it is part of pollution management
approach that is comprised of prevention, control and clean-up. Minimizing or avoiding the
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creation of pollutants and wastes can be more effective in protecting the environment than
treating them, or cleaning them up after they have been created. This approach, called
"pollution prevention", is needed to secure a safe and healthy environment and a sound and
prosperous economy. It is a key component of environmental protection and sustainable
development.
Following are a few suggestions that we citizens should carry out in order for pollution
prevention:
1. Mind Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Energy Consumption
Reduce the effects of climate change on the ocean by leaving the car at home when you can
and being conscious of your energy use at home and work. A few things you can do to get
started today: Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, take the stairs, and bundle up or use
a fan to avoid oversetting your thermostat.
2. Make Safe, Sustainable Seafood Choices
Global fish populations are rapidly being depleted due to demand, loss of habitat, and
unsustainable fishing practices. When shopping or dining out, help reduce the demand for
overexploited species by choosing seafood that is both healthful and sustainable.

3. Use Fewer Plastic Products
Plastics that end up as ocean debris contribute to habitat destruction and entangle and kill tens
of thousands of marine animals each year. To limit your impact, carry a reusable water bottle,
store food in non-disposable containers, bring your own cloth tote or other reusable bag when
shopping, and recycle whenever possible.
4. Help Take Care of the Beach
Whether you enjoy diving, surfing, or relaxing on the beach, always clean up after yourself.
Explore and appreciate the ocean without interfering with wildlife or removing rocks and
coral. Go even further by encouraging others to respect the marine environment or by
participating in local beach cleanups.
5. Support Organizations Working to Protect the Ocean
Many institutes and organizations are fighting to protect ocean habitats and marine wildlife.
Find a national organization and consider giving financial support or volunteering for hands-
on work or advocacy.


6. Influence Change in Your Community
Research the ocean policies of public officials before you vote or contact your local
representatives to let them know you support marine conservation projects. Consider
patronizing restaurants and grocery stores that offer only sustainable seafood, and speak up
about your concerns if you spot a threatened species on the menu or at the seafood counter.
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7. Travel the Ocean Responsibly
Practice responsible boating, kayaking, and other recreational activities on the water. Never
throw anything overboard, and be aware of marine life in the waters around you.