What Causes Ocean Pollution

  1.    Land-based pollutants: Waste originating on land such as plastics and electronics account for 80 percent of all marine debris.

  2.    Toxic chemicals: Chemicals that have been implicated in cancer, developmental problems and other health issues end up in the ocean.

  3.    Energy consumption: The burning of coal, accounting for roughly 50 percent of U.S. energy use, releases toxic mercury that ends up in the ocean and the fish we eat.

  4.    Pharmaceuticals: The Associated Press reports that U.S. hospitals and long-term care facilities alone flush millions of pounds of pharmaceuticals annually down the drain.

  5.    Oil spills: An estimated 706 million gallons of oil are leaked from ships or wash from land into the ocean each year.

  6.    Carbon emissions: The oceans have absorbed about 50 percent of carbon dioxide from our carbon emissions, resulting in a 30 percent increase in ocean acidity since the Industrial Revolution.