marine pollution marine pollution marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial, agricultural and residential waste, particles, noise, excess carbon dioxide or invasive organisms enter the ocean and cause harmful effects there. the majority of this waste (80%) comes from land-based activity, although marine transportation significantly contributes as well. since most inputs come from land, either via the rivers, sewage or the atmosphere, it means that continental shelves are more vulnerable to pollution. air pollution is also a contributing factor by carrying off iron, carbonic acid, nitrogen, silicon, sulfur, pesticides or dust particles into the ocean. the pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff, wind-blown debris, and dust. these nonpoint sources are largely due to runoff that enters the ocean through rivers, but wind-blown debris and dust can also play a role, as these pollutants can settle into waterways and oceans. pathways of pollution include direct discharge, land runoff, ship pollution, bilge pollution, atmospheric pollution and, potentially, deep sea mining. part of a series onpollutionair pollution from a factory air acid rain air quality index atmospheric dispersion modeling chlorofluorocarbon exhaust gas haze indoor air internal combustion engine global dimming global distillation ozone depletion particulates persistent organic pollutant smog aerosol soot volatile organic compound biological biological hazard genetic introduced species (invasive species) digital information electromagnetic light ecological overillumination radio spectrum natural ozone radium and radon in the environment volcanic ash wildfire noise transportation land water air rail sustainable transport urban sonar marine mammals and sonar industrial military abstract noise control radiation actinides bioremediation depleted uranium nuclear fission nuclear fallout plutonium poisoning radioactivity uranium electromagnetic radiation and health radioactive waste soil agricultural herbicides manure waste pesticides land degradation bioremediation defecation electrical resistance heating soil guideline values phytoremediation solid waste biodegradable waste brown waste electronic waste battery recycling food waste green waste hazardous waste biomedical waste chemical waste construction waste lead poisoning mercury poisoning toxic waste international waste industrial waste lead smelting litter mining coal mining gold mining surface mining deep sea mining mining waste uranium mining municipal solid waste garbage nanomaterials plastic microplastics packaging waste post-consumer waste waste management landfill thermal treatment space satellite thermal urban heat island visual air travel advertising clutter overhead power lines traffic signs vandalism war chemical warfare herbicidal warfare (agent orange) nuclear holocaust (nuclear fallout - nuclear famine - nuclear winter) scorched earth unexploded ordnance war and environmental law water agricultural wastewater diseases eutrophication firewater freshwater groundwater hypoxia industrial wastewater marine debris monitoring nonpoint source see misc section nutrient ocean acidification oil spill pharmaceuticals freshwater salinization septic tanks sewage septic tanks pit latrine shipping stagnation sulfur water surface runoff turbidity urban runoff water quality misc point source area source legacy pollution lists diseases law by country most polluted cities least polluted cities by pm2.5 treaties categories by country environment portal ecology portal the types of marine pollution can be grouped as pollution from marine debris, plastic pollution, including microplastics, ocean acidification, nutrient pollution, toxins and underwater noise. plastic pollution in the ocean is a type of marine pollution by plastics, ranging in size from large original material such as bottles and bags, down to microplastics formed from the fragmentation of plastic material. marine debris is mainly discarded human rubbish which floats on, or is suspended in the ocean. plastic pollution is harmful to marine life. another concern is the runoff of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from intensive agriculture, and the disposal of untreated or partially treated sewage to rivers and subsequently oceans. these nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients (which are also contained in fertilizers) stimulate phytoplankton and macroalgal growth, which can lead to harmful algal blooms (eutrophication) which can be harmful to humans as well as marine creatures. excessive algal growth can also smother sensitive coral reefs and lead to loss of biodiversity and coral health. a second major concern is that the degradation of algal blooms can lead to consumption of oxygen in coastal waters, a situation that may worsen with climate change as warming reduces vertical mixing of the water column. many potentially toxic chemicals adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthic animals, most of which are either deposit feeders or filter feeders. in this way, the toxins are concentrated upward within ocean food chains. when pesticides are incorporated into the marine ecosystem, they quickly become absorbed into marine food webs. once in the food webs, these pesticides can cause mutations, as well as diseases, which can be harmful to humans as well as the entire food web. toxic metals can also be introduced into marine food webs. these can cause a change to tissue matter, biochemistry, behavior, reproduction, and suppress growth in marine life. also, many animal feeds have a high fish meal or fish hydrolysate content. in this way, marine toxins can be transferred to land animals, and appear later in meat and dairy products. pathways of pollution while marine pollution can be obvious, as with the marine debris shown above, it is often the pollutants that cannot be seen that cause most harm.