Managing Ocean Pollution

Question 1

Plastic pollution problems

Answer 1

• problem accelerated due to increase in plastic production globally
• 2014, 311million tonnes produced worldwide
• essential for everyday life, toothbrush, asthma pumps
• cheap materials and EEs development fuelled ‘throw away’ attitudes (bin instead of fix)
• bottled water driven by lifestyle
• every mile2 contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic
• scientists concerned with impacts on maritime ecosystems and food webs, lids from plastic bottles can mimc appearance of shrimp eaten by albatross

Question 2

Surface gyres of ocean and effect on plastic pollution

Answer 2

• circular currents in oceans cycle plastic clockwise (n.Hem) and anticlockwise (s.Hem)
• high levels found on remote islands as a result
• rubber ducks found on Atlantic beaches after 1992 container ship incident in Pacific Ocean

Question 3

Eutrophication and marine dead zones

Answer 3

• nitrate fertilisers runoff into rivers or coastal waters
• algal bloom = initial growth in marine life, followed by death of fish and crustaceans
• 20 major marine dead zones, particularly coast of Japan and Gulf of Mexico due to hub regions of global agri-business

Question 4

Management of marine waste at varying scales

Answer 4

• global conventions (UNCLOS)
• EU and other rules on waste management
• citizen led and NGO actions

Question 5

Global conventions and limitation in reducing plastic waste in oceans

Answer 5

• UNCLOS states bound by rules preventing waste dumping delibrately at sea
• recycling schemes in some countries
• land based discharges due to weather flashing litter into estuaries or river networks

Question 6

National and European rules to reduce plastic waste in oceans

Answer 6

• government now using legislation to reduce throwaway plastics
• thin plastic bags in china prohibited
• 70% reduction after introduction of plastic bag charge in Wales 2011

Question 7

Awareness and local action of plastic pollution in oceans

Answer 7

• citizens and NGOs joined global campaign
• adventure ecology campaign group built a boat fro 12,500 bottles and sailed it across the pacific ocean
• Greenpeace, ocean clean up of NGOs campaigned on issue also
• plastic bags film created in 2010
• numerous NGOs working on banning bottled water where tap water is available

Question 8

Evaluation of success of plastic waste strategies

Answer 8

• government action in EU states at international and national levels, educating citizens on recycling facilities
• plastic waste set to quadruple by 2050 on account of globalising affluence in EEs
• most strategies target new flows rather than existing stocks
• developing new materials, including biodegradable or edible plastic

Question 9

Global governance by UNESCO and protection of oceans

Answer 9

• since 1972, world health convention, UNESCO awarded special protection to places/regions that have ‘outstanding universal value’
• outstanding = exceptional site, ‘geography of superlative’
• universal = significance globally not just national importance
• value = UNESCO uses a criteria to define ‘worth’ such as species richness/uniqueness
• 2016 46 maritime sites of world heritage list
• Wadden sea, S. North Sea, 10million birds stop on their way from breeding areas in Siberia/Canada
• Columbia’s Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary maintaining shark and fish health in Pacific Ocean
• Galapagos Islands marine reserve is a biodiversity hotspot