THREATS TO THE SEA/OCEANS

1) Climate Change
- One of the most visually dramatic effects of climate change is coral bleaching, a
stress response caused by high water temperatures that can lead to coral death.
Recent years have seen widespread and severe coral bleaching episodes
around the world, with coral mortality reaching 70% in some regions.
- The rate at which oceans are warming may not sound dramatic - the temperature
rise over the past century is estimated at about 0.1 degree Celsius - but that is
enough to kill the algae that keep corals alive, move species into new areas, and
cause sea levels to rise.

2) Seas of Garbage
- Solid garbage also makes its way to the ocean. Plastic bags, balloons, glass
bottles, shoes, packaging material if not disposed of correctly, almost
everything we throw away can reach the sea.
- Plastic garbage, which decomposes very slowly, is often mistaken for food by
marine animals. High concentrations of plastic material, particularly plastic bags,
have been found blocking the breathing passages and stomachs of many marine
species, including whales, dolphins, seals, puffins, and turtles. Plastic six-pack
rings for drink bottles can also choke marine animals.

3) Oil Spill
- Oil spills frequently kill marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, seals and sea
otters. The deadly damage can take several forms. The oil sometimes clogs the
blowholes of whales and dolphins, making it impossible for the animals to
breathe properly and disrupting their ability to communicate.Oil coats the fur of
otters and seals, leaving them vulnerable to hypothermia.
- Even when marine mammals escape the immediate effects, an oil spill can cause
damage by contaminating their food supply. Marine mammals that eat fish or
other food that has been exposed to an oil spill may be poisoned by the oil and
die or can experience other problems.
4) Exxon Valdez oil spill
- The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, March 24,
1989, when Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker owned by Exxon Shipping Company,
bound for Long Beach, California, struck Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef and
spilled 10.8 million US gallons of crude oil over the next few days. It is
considered to be one of the most devastating human-caused environmental
disasters. The Valdez spill is the second largest in US waters, after the 2010
Deepwater Horizon oil spill, in terms of volume released.
- The Exxon Valdez oil spill killed thousands of sea otters, hundreds of harbor
seals, roughly two dozen killer whales and a dozen or more river otters. Even
more troubling in some ways, in the years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill
scientists noted higher death rates among sea otters and some other species
affected by the oil spill, and stunted growth or other damage among other
species.

5) Deepwater Horizon
- The Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on April 20, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico.
Killing eleven people, it is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of
the petroleum industry and estimated to be 8% to 31% larger in volume than the
previous largest oil spill. The US Government estimated the total discharge of
200 million gallons (750 million liters) of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. After several
failed efforts to contain the flow, the well was declared sealed on September 19,
2010. Reports in early 2012 indicated the well site was still leaking.
- The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill occurred during prime mating and nesting
season for many bird and marine species, and the long-term environmental
consequences of that spill won't be known for many years. Oil spills can even
disrupt migratory patterns by contaminating areas where migrating birds normally
stop.