Unit 4b Flashcards
What are the three causes of ocean pollution?
- Oil spills
- Plastic Pollution
- Eutrophic dead zones
What is the case study for oil spills and how was it dealt with?
April 2010, deep water horizon oil spill
Oil scattered in patches across 1200 + sq miles of seabed
$14 billion on clean up spent
How have oil tanker spills increased ocean pollution?
spills launched one of the worst environmental disasters in history
4 million barrels of oil over the course of 3 months
What factors may increase the chance of oil tanker accidents?
- equipment failures
- human errors
- sudden shifts in cargo
What is the case study for an oil tanker spill?
The Exxon Valdez Disaster, Alaska
March 1989
What happened on March 1989?
How much oil was spilled?
Deaths?
Exxon Valdez:
- 1,300 miles of coastline were hit by the oil spill
- 4 deaths associated with the clean up effort
What was done to help manage the consequences of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?
- required 10,000 workers, 1,000 boats and roughly 100 airplanes and helicopters
- caused $300 million of economic harm
- more than 32,000 people whose livelihood depended on commercial fishing
What are the long term impacts of the oil spill in Alaska?
- 25 years later, less than half the wildlife population return
- oil still present 21 years later
How do you contain an oil spill?
temporary floating barriers (booms) can contain the oil
How can chemicals be used to reduce the damage of the oil spill?
Dispersants (which are toxic to coal) or chemical emulsifiers can be sprayed
Break up the oil which stops the oil and water from mixing
How does Nano fibrillated cellulose work to clean up oil spills?
Soaks up the oil but leaves the water behind ( can hold 50x their own weight in oil)
How do skimmers work to clean up oil spills?
boats that scoop up the oil from the surface of the water
What % of of rubbish floating in oceans is made up by plastic?
90%
What are microplastics?
plastics that do not decompose, they just break down into smaller fragments
What does the UN Environmental Programme estimated how much plastic there is for every sq mile of ocean?
46,000 pieces floating in the ocean
Why has plastic production increased?
- more economic growth
- more demand due to an increase in the population
- relatively cheap compared to other alternatives
How do plastics get into our ocean?
- litter on the streets/ beaches
- Synthetics from clothes, microbeads, toothpaste, wet wipes being flushed
- Landfill = can be blown away
What is mismanaged plastic waste?
plastic that is either littered or inadequately disposed, where it is not formally managed and includes disposal or open, uncontrolled landfills
In 2019 what were the top 4 countries with the most plastic waste?
India
China
Philippines
Brazil
In 2019, what was the amount of plastic waste generated by India compared to the U.K?
India = 12.99 million
U.K = 29,914
What is happening to large amounts of the U.Ks waste?
It is being exported all over the world to countries like Indonesia and the Netherlands used to be exported to China
What is a gyre?
Natural rotations in the open oceans (rotating ocean currents)
How do gyres form garbage patches and what is an example of one?
In gyres, there are stable high pressure systems, where wind and waves slow down, allowing the rubbish to accumulate
Example = Great pacific garbage patch
Why are microplastics harmful?
(less than 5mm long)
Can’t see them so cannot scoop them up and dispose
What are the issues for marine species of plastic and microplastics in the ocean?
Animals + fish mistake plastic for food = ingestion = internal injuries
entanglement in fish gear = immobility
microplastics go in and move up the food chain
How is ocean plastic pollution being managed on a global scale?
Global conventions and UNCLOS
What is UNCLOS and which article is about managing ocean pollution?
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Article 194 states, ‘prevent, reduce and control pollution of the marine environment from any source’.
How many tonnes of plastic entered the oceans in 2021, what is expected to happen to that amount?
17 million metric tonnes, making up 85% of marine litter
expected to double by 2040
Why is it difficult for the UN to enforce Article 194?
Majority of countries have gone through industrialisation, however those who haven’t wouldn’t be able to industrialise and if their population is increasing there would be more demand for products
How is ocean plastic pollution being managed on a national scale by the EU?
By the E.U proposed new wide rules to target:
- the 10 single - use plastic products most found on Europe’s beaches
- lost and found fishing gear
(Together constitute for over 70% of all marine litter items)
In the U.K, in 2016 what was introduced and how did it help manage plastic pollution?
a tax was introduced on single - use plastic bags
the use of such bags dropped by 90% = 9 billion fewer bags used
What else did the U.K do to reduce and manage ocean pollution?
tough ban on microbeads in rinse off personal care
reduce the use of other single use plastics such as cutlery and plastic plates
U.K uses 2.7 billion items of cutlery per year
How is ocean plastic pollution being managed on a local scale?
- cleaning beaches
- education in schools
- use less single use plastics
What is Eutrophication?
is when a body of water becomes overly enriched with nutrients, e.g. nitrogen and phosphorous, which causes the growth of algae on the surface
How are marine ecosystems affected by eutrophication?
1) Nutrients get into oceans
2) nutrients feed algae, which grows and blocks sunlight
3) plants die without sunlight = algae dies too
4) bacteria digest plants giving off CO2
5) Fish and other wildlife can’t swim away = unhealthy and are without O2
How are Eutrophic Dead Zones managed?
- instead of chemical fertilisers, enhanced weathering is used
- basalt (volcanic rock) is powdered and spread it on the field
- increased nutrients, absorbs carbon from the atmosphere
- less likely to get washed out AND a cheaper option
What other factors will result in high level of ocean eutrophication in some places?
- how close they are to coasts
- how much nutrients are entering the oceans and at what rate
- rainfall and availability of nutrients
What is the case study of Dead zones?
The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
What is the size of the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone in 2021?
2021 - 6334 sq miles
Where did the pollution in the Gulf of Mexico come from?
Heavy rains, melting snow washes nutrients from lawns, sewage, treatment plants and farmland
How can the impacts be reduced (in the Gulf of Mexico)?
Reconnectivers to floodplains (act as filters) that remove excess nutrients from water
Innovative technologies and practices are implemented across Mississippi River to reduce nutrients pollution e.g. apply slow release fertilisers)
What is a UNESCO Marine Heritage Marine Sites?
the list includes 49 ocean places, over 37 countries
What is the case study for UNESCO Marine Heritage site?
Belize Barrier Reef - designated in 1996
(largest in the Northern Hemisphere)
How large is the Belize Barrier Reef, where is it and what is the number of fish and coral species?
300km, located in south america
fishes = 400 species
coral = 70 species
What is the economic importance of the Reef in Belize?
- second largest reef system
- vital for tourism and economy
- about 200,000 Belizeans are dependent on it for their livelihood
What are the anthropogenic Threats to the reef in Belize?
In 2009, the reef was identified to be in danger following concerns about:
- overfishing
- tourists damaging reef
- mangrove destruction
- off shore oil extraction
How is fishing being managed in the Reef in Belize?
Belize fisheries Department acts in a certain way:
- monitoring reef health, species pop
- set sustainable fishing quotas and enforce the laws
- educate fishers and tour guides
How does tourism management work in the Reef in Belize?
ecotourism - Sustainable Tourism Program (STP)
- sensitive coastal areas now have restrictive regulations
- educate tour guides on practices to reduce environmental impacts
In 2015, what did the Belize government do to manage oil spills?
put a permanent oil moratorium across the entire Belize offshore waters, reduce risk of pollution
How effective was the management in the Belize reef?
in 2018 UNESCO removed the ‘ in danger’ status from the Belize Barrier Reef
What are some of the threats that still exist for the reef in Belize?
- bleaching of corals
- loss of biodiversity
- (linked with climate change)
Has Belize successfully managed the reef system?
fishermen switching to growing seaweed, used in medicine and cosmetics
education for younger generations
