Oil Spills

• Oil pollution remains a major problem in the ocean's sunlight zone. The release of crude oil into the marine environment has devastating effects on the marine life and microorganisms at the surface, as well as the coastal areas where shellfish, seaweed and corals exist. Large tanker ships release most of the unwanted oil in the oceans and coastal regions, either by grounding, accidental discharge or direct impact with other ships. When oil slicks spread and contaminate the coast, tide pool photosynthesis suffers, along with shallow water oxygen levels.
  
  

Industrial Waste

• Marine environments suffer direct pollution with the dumping of industrial wastes into the ocean or into the rivers and streams. The waste chemicals contain toxic substances and materials such as mercury, dioxin and radioactive materials that originate from nuclear power plants. Offshore garbage and trash dumping release toxins, clogs coral reefs, entrap fish and poison bottom-feeding shellfish. Humans who ingest inflected fishes and shell life become ill as a result of the chemicals and substances.
  
  

Marine Debris

• Ocean beaches serve as traps for discarded trash and garbage. Plastics and glass are the most common materials found in beach sand. Other discarded beach items include plastic bottle caps, cigarette butts, boxes, metal dispensers, jar lids and medical waste. Marine life ingests the harmful fragments and materials, which blocks their guts and intestines. Some plastic containers can entangle fish, stopping their respiration. Drainage runoff from residential and business areas bring unwanted refuse to the beaches and estuaries.
  
  

Acid Rain

• The burning of fossil fuels -- heavy industry and automobiles are culprits -- causes severe air pollution. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, sulphurs and soot reach the upper layers of the atmosphere, where it adheres to moisture particles in the clouds. The pollutants fall back to the oceans and earth in the form of precipitation, damaging crops, grains, plants, trees and marine plant life. Acid rains kills tide pool organisms, kelp and corals.
  
  

Agricultural Pollution

• Agricultural runoffs that contain DDT and other pesticides in their fertilizers enter the rivers and streams and eventually find their way to the sea. Sea life exposed to the chemicals ingest them or absorb them through their bodies. The affected animals accumulate the toxins in their fatty tissues where the toxins disrupt their nervous systems and reproductive functions. Birds that eat infected shellfish lose functioning in their nervous systems, hampering their reproductive capabilities and altering their migration patterns.