Sea turtles are one of my favorite animals of all time. But, I recently discovered a while back that sea turtles are going extinct. Some people might wonder, “Why are they going extinct?”. In 2022, Bonaire Turtles, a sea turtle conservation in Bonaire, titled an article called “Why Are Sea Turtles Endangered?,” “Six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened or endangered due to human actions and lifestyles.” There are five major hazards to sea turtles: fisheries, direct take, which is when sea turtles and their eggs are killed for food, coastal development, climate change, and the biggest one, pollution. Water pollution has had devastating environmental effects for quite a while. So, today I will share what runoff, oil spills, and plastic do to ocean life and solutions to these problems.

First, I’d like to talk about runoff. Morgan Stanley, a writer at National Geographic, entitled an article called “Runoff,” and she says that “Runoff mainly happens when there is more water than the land can absorb.” For example, snowmelt is an example of runoff that occurs when mountains can’t hold water from heavy snowfalls. The water then turns into streams or rivers and eventually ends up in the ocean. Runoff can come from two places of human activity; point sources and nonpoint sources. A point source is an example of runoff that empties directly into the water. For instance, a point source can be a pipe from a sewage plant, factory, or even in someone’s home. A nonpoint source is a type of runoff that doesn’t run directly into the water. Some sources for this can be large urban, suburban, or rural areas. Farms are considered a substantial nonpoint source of runoff. In these areas, rainwater and irrigation wash chemicals into local streams or rivers. This type of runoff includes fertilizers, car exhaust, or spilled gas. Runoff is not the worst source of water pollution. There are far worse sources when it comes to this certain situation.

The second issue that I would like to talk about is oil spills. Oil can harm many species of marine life. According to an article on January 20, 2023, NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, wrote an article called “How Does Oil Impact Marine Life?” it states that “Oil destroys the insulating abilities of many fur-covered animals, like sea otters, and the repellency of a bird’s feathers.” Sea turtles could mistake the oil for food while dolphins and whales could inhale the oil which would have a serious effect on their lungs, immune system, and their reproduction system. Oil also exposes creatures to harsh elements, such as dying from hypothermia. Seafood poisoning is another vital thing that can happen when oil is spilled into the ocean. Fish, shellfish, and corals may not get exposed immediately but can come into contact with the oil if it is mixed in the water column. Shellfish can also be exposed in the intertidal zone. Adult fish and fish eggs can face some serious dangers when it comes to oil. Adult fish will experience reduced growth, enlarged livers, changes in heart and respiration rates, fin erosion, and reproductive impairment. Fish eggs are mainly sensitive to lethal and sublethal impacts. So, if we keep using oil the way it is intended to use it, which means stop spilling it in the ocean, all sea life and humans will stop getting poisoned and we can have a healthy life.

The third thing that has been harming ocean life is the biggest problem out there, plastic. As stated on January 27, 2022, by NOAA from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, entitled “A Guide to Plastic in the Ocean” plastic can be known as two things; single-use items and microplastics. Single-use plastics are mainly designed to be thrown out right away, preferably recycled. In this case, plastic water bottles and takeout containers, if these plastics aren’t disposed of properly, they can end up in the ocean and harm many species of marine life. Then, microplastics, which are tiny bits of plastic that were once larger items, are sometimes found in soaps or other personal care products. Microfibers, which are normally shed from clothing or fishing nets, are a harmful type of microplastic. These fibers absorb harmful pollutants like pesticides, dyes, and flame retardants. Plastic is the most common issue when it comes to water pollution and the biggest problem. But, there are many ways to fix these problems.

So, I shared what runoff, oil spillage, and plastic does to the ocean and the life within it, but now I would like to share two solutions to these problems. On August 24, 2021, Atlas Scientific, an environmental robotics group, wrote an article called “Water Pollution Solutions,” and says that the two main solutions to water pollution are wastewater treatment and reducing our plastic waste. First, wastewater treatment is the most efficient way of reducing pollution. People use wastewater sensors to make sure that these treatments function properly and are necessary to measure and remove contaminants. Some examples of these sensors are pH sensors, conductivity sensors, and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) sensors. Reducing plastic waste is also one of the main ideas when it comes to solving these problems. Plastic waste is known to decay water supplies. To reduce the plastic waste problem, we should all participate in helping out with the problem. This includes recycling plastics, using reusable utensils, grocery bags, etc., buying fruit and vegetables that are not wrapped in plastic, and buying organic or natural care products. There are many more ways to reduce the problem of pollution, but these are the two main ones.

Today I shared what runoff, oil spillage, and plastic can do to the ocean and the life within it, along with some solutions to all those problems. Water pollution has had devastating environmental effects for quite a while. If we recycle more than we already do or should, then we can save ourselves and the people around us from living in a pile of rubbish. As I said previously, sea turtles are potentially endangered because most people around the world won’t stop throwing their trash into the ocean, beach, or even the side of the road. Recycling isn’t hard at all, if people do it, they’ll save so many lives. Make it fun, it doesn’t have to be a boring task. Do whatever you can to save our planet.