Ocean And Water Issues

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Ocean Service

Seas of garbage Solid garbage also makes its way to the ocean. Plastic bags, balloons, glass bottles, shoes, packaging material - if not disposed of correctly, almost everything we throw away can reach the sea. Plastic garbage, which decomposes very slowly, is often mistaken for food by marine animals.

Years ago, I profiled a theater designer who had just created 200 sumptuous costumes from garbage bags. Green, rose, black, white, sky blue, and see-through-the plastic was pliable and it pleated, flounced, puffed, fluffed, and glowed with reflected light. The title of that long-ago theater production was 33 Scenes on the Possibility of Human Happiness.

Water Is Life Read About Water's Critical Role More " Where is the world's water? And how is it used? Find out more about the ways water weaves itself around the world, and how H20 is the lifeblood of human civilizations and critical aquatic ecosystems. Help Save the Colorado River You can help restore freshwater ecosystems by pledging to cut your water footprint.

Ocean overfishing is simply the taking of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for fished species to replace themselves. The earliest overfishing occurred in the early 1800s when humans, seeking blubber for lamp oil, decimated the whale population.

Page - March 17, 2008 We know less about our oceans than we do about outer space, but our activities threaten to destroy oceans that were once teeming with life. Take action and stand up for the oceans and ocean wildlife. The key threats facing our oceans include: You may believe that we saved the whales in the 1980's.

Oceans Explained Powerful forces have pushed the world's oceans to the brink of ecological collapse. Marine vitality can be restored by ending overfishing, creating marine protected areas, improving oceans governance, and combating emerging threats like ocean acidification.

Environmental Issues > Water Main Page > All Water Documents Giant livestock farms, which can house hundreds of thousands of pigs, chickens, or cows, produce vast amounts of manure, often generating the waste equivalent of a small city.

Find out what water pollution is. What makes the water dirty and poisonous, and how can water pollution affect humans, plants and aquatic animals

In 2006, higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air had a negative impact on oceans, hitting marine life hard.

Overfishing, pollution, bycatch, and global warming are major threats to ocean life.

Conservation of ocean environments, seas, coasts, the coral reefs and their magnicient diversity of marine animals and plants.