From the land, high levels of pesticides and toxins are being carried to the oceans, dramatically affecting shallow coastal zones, sea grass marine nursery areas, and coral reefs. Over sixty percent of the raw or treated sewage produced by man, rich in nitrogen, is being dumped into the oceans causing eutrophication in coastal waters. This overabundance of nutrients is causing algae blooms world-wide, impacting the marine food web. More than half of the solid waste generated by man and being dumped into the oceans is highly durable plastics. Marine species become entangled in plastic debris and die from ingesting fish nets, plastic bags, cigarette filters and condoms.
Many species die in drift nets.
We consider our coastal zones a convenient alternate to landfills, dumping any waste, including radioactive materials and toxic dredged materials , into the unseen ocean depths. Many tropical and arctic marine species live at temperatures close to their upper lethal limits. Slow growing tropical coral reef systems are highly dependent on narrow temperature ranges. The variance of water temperatures of 2 to 4 degrees C above normal can cause death to vast marine biosystems. Sea turtle populations are affected as their sex is determined by the temperature at which their eggs are incubated.