The Spirit of Responsibility

for the Environment”

Mediterranean sea life

2nd Group Meeting
Patras, 18-2-2019 to 22-2-2019
45th Primary School of Patras
 Marine Pollution
The ocean covers almost three quarters of our planet.
Populations in coastal regions are growing and
placing increasing pressure on coastal and marine
ecosystems. Marine pollution of many kinds threatens
the health of the ocean and its living resources. While
the past decades have seen efforts at the local,
national, and international levels to address the
problems of marine pollution, more needs to be done.
Pollution does not only affect marine life and their

environment, it also affects mankind. Chemicals such

as oil, mercury, lead, pesticides, and other heavy
metals can all be found within the ocean and can
contaminate water supplies and our food chain by
affecting the marine life involved.
“Marine debris” is defined to include any anthropogenic,
manufactured, or processed solid material (regardless of
size) discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the
environment, including all materials discarded into the sea,
on the shore, or brought indirectly to the sea by rivers,
sewage, storm water, waves, or winds.”
 The Top Ten Marine Litter Items
Debris Items Number of Items Percent of Total
Cigarettes/cigarette filters 25,407,457 24.6
Bags (paper & plastic) 9,711,238 9.4
Caps/lids 9,398,977 9.1
Food wrappers/containers 9,191,575 8.9
Cups/plates/forks/knives/spoons 7,426,964 7.2
Beverage bottles (plastic) <2 litres 5,684,718 5.5
Beverage Bottles (glass) 4,991,860 4.8
Beverage cans 4,796,554 4.6
Straws, stirrers 4,508,085 4.4
Rope 2,215,329 2.1
Total debris items 103,247,609 80.7
Adapted from UNEP (2009a) and compiled from the International Coastal Clean Ups’ 1989-
2007 reports of the Center for Marine Conservation/Ocean Conservancy.
(https://www.marinelittersolutions.com/about-marine-litter/what-is-marine-
litter/?gclid=CjwKCAiAs8XiBRAGEiwAFyQ-
elCbjn0DjZD40JIdJBoy0yAhES_jSye7ZwYQEuQSrR93NDz62B4HcRoCFBMQAvD_BwE)
 Mediterranean

• Is one of the largest of the semi-enclosed European seas.

• It is surrounded by 3 continents Asia, Europe, Africa,22 countries.
• It’s the habitat of 480 million people.
 Mediterranean has been identified as one of the main
areas that are most responsive to climate change, due to:

• Water scarcity.

• Economic and tourist

activities.
• The Mediterranean is one of

the busiest seas in the world

with shipping and trade

traffic.

• Illegal fishing has cause depletion

in marine life and the accidental

and unnecessary deaths to

mammals who get caught in

discarded or lost driftnets.

 • Habitat destruction
has been influenced
by human activities.

• Chemicals and plastics cause a

depletion in marine life and can last in
the oceans for hundreds of years which
can lead to accidental ingestion and
death of the marine life.
• The land run off, not only affects the marine life but also
the humans who ingest the affected fish.
 WHAT CAN WE DO?
• Take measures for illegal fishing.

Monitoring fishing vessels, increase mapping surveillance

and research, advocating for the fight against illegal fishing.

• Stopping the harmful tourist activities like,

Snorkeling or scuba diving , so as to ensure that tourism

stays but the harm to the marine ecosystems is reduced.

• Reduce the use of fertilizers and chemicals being put into

the soil of farms and land areas.
 WHAT CAN WE DO?
• Increase funds for clean-up,

Establish a global ocean fund,

Picking up trash on the beach (or else it will end up in the sea).

• Fees and taxes on polluting plastics (recycled plastic becomes

cheaper than fossil)

• Reduce our plastic dependency

• Increase producer responsibility

• Buy products that have been made from recycled material

 WHAT CAN WE DO?
• Take measures for illegal fishing.

Monitoring fishing vessels, increase mapping surveillance and

research, advocating for the fight against illegal fishing.

• Stopping the harmful tourist activities like,

Snorkeling or scuba diving , so as to ensure that tourism stays

but the harm to the marine ecosystems is reduced.

• Reduce the use of fertilizers and chemicals being put into the
soil of farms and land areas.
 WHAT CAN WE DO?
• Stop using plastic water bottles

• Avoid microbeads (the tiny plastic particles

that have become a growing source of ocean
plastic pollution in recent years. Microbeads
are found in some face scrubs, toothpastes,
and bodywashes)
 SPEAK UP

RAISE AWARENESS

RECYCLE
Thank you for your
attention!!!