Each year, around 6 billion kilograms of garbage enter the ocean. This garbage ends up on the beaches, sinks deep in the ocean or is ingested by marine animals that confuse it with food.
Garbage is now part of the marine ecosystem, but instead of favoring it, it generates the death or contamination of thousands of animals in the water. And it's worse every year.
Towards a more polluted world ...
The pollution of the oceans is the introduction of polluting and harmful compounds that do not exist naturally in the marine ecosystem.
The vast majority of this pollutant comes from nearby human activity, both marine and terrestrial activities.
From the agricultural activity on the coasts derive compounds such as pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, detergents, wastewater among other solids. These compounds are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus then alter the natural content of these chemicals in the ocean, slowly intoxicating the animals.
Solid waste, such as plastic bags and other plastic or metal components, is discarded in the oceans from land or ships. These pollutants have a more dramatic effect on animals because mammals, birds and fish eat them when mistaken for food. It can also cause injuries to the body of many marine mammals.
Marine litter areas
To take into account the magnitude of the problem, in some regions the ocean current generates the accumulation of garbage generating huge marine garbage dumps. One of these regions is located in the North Pacific Ocean and is known as the Garbage Island, reaching 1.4 million square kilometers. In the Atlantic Ocean a similar structure was discovered, called the North Atlantic Garbage Patch.
So trash is not only killing and intoxicating our animals, it also stars in the geographical maps.
And it is that the history of garbage in the ocean descends to the times of the Roman Empire. However, in recent times the amount of garbage accumulated began to accelerate dramatically. A study conducted in 2015 estimated that the ocean contains around 5.25 trillion units of garbage. By 2050, it is believed that this amount will exceed the amount of fish in the ocean.
It is then that the ecosystem will change forever.
Volunteers we can all be
Is this what we want to do with our planet? With our oceans? Our water? If they are ours to use, they are ours to take care of.
Volunteer groups gather around the world to fight daily for our oceans, to clean them and to make people aware.
But change can also be achieved in our homes, by not consuming so much plastic that it will inevitably end up in the habitat of marine animals. No more disposable coffee cups, no more plastic bags with purchases. No more buying to throw or buy to pollute.
Do you want to see a change? Renunciation of the disposable culture.