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Britton Cain
Mrs. Crist
English 4
18 February, 2016
Essential Question: Why is ocean pollution a big problem and how it can be stopped?
Working Thesis: Ocean pollution can be prevented.
Refined Thesis: Ocean pollution can play a key role in how we live today and must be
prevented.
Annotated Bibliography

"Ocean Pollution." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2015): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls
New World Encyclopedia. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Ocean pollution can come in many different ways in forms. Some examples of
ocean pollution can range anywhere from everyday trash, unsafe chemicals, and even
sewage. Most debris in the ocean comes from small common objects, like plastic bottles
and bags. Ocean pollution can harm animals and also slowly destroy an animals habitat.
These marine animals could become sick or even die from the marine debris or even
chemicals in the water. This can even affect humans; many people in this area eat seafood
often. People could be catching and selling chemical contaminated fish to many
restaurants and places that you might like to go to. Also chemical pollution can come
from a single large event, like an oil spill. This can affect many long stretches of beach,
and also damage a certain species that lives there. Sewage is also a unique, but a critical

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form of pollution. Sewage contains disease causing bacteria to spread. Towns can
monitor their bacteria levels to see if any sewage pollution is in the water. This article is
relevant to the research because it explains the many forms of pollution
Sielen, Alan B. "The Devolution Of The Seas." Foreign Affairs 92.6 (2013): 124. MasterFILE
Premier. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
Out of all the threats in todays world, one of the biggest might be our worlds
oceans. There are factors that are leading to our oceans problems, the biggest are
Pollution, overfishing, habitats being destroyed, and climate change. These factors are
emptying the ocean quicker than we know it. Many trash items such as plastic bags, cans,
bottles and even small plastic pellets get washed away into the ocean or come from ships.
This trash eventually flows out to sea where it creates a giant pile, covering hundreds of
miles. An example of this is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that sits in the North Pacific
Ocean. The pollutants that can cause the most danger to us and marine life are chemical
pollutants. These chemicals are toxic and being accumulated by all types of marine life.
This can cause disease, abnormalities or even death among marine life organisms. Also,
fertilizer can be harmful to our oceans. Fertilizer makes algae grow at rapid rates. This
can create Dead Zones. When the algae dies, it makes its way to the ocean floor, where its
decomposition takes up oxygen in the water that other organisms need to survive. Also,
they can produce toxins that kill other marine life or could poison a human if they
consume it. An example of a dead zone is where the Mississippi river meets the Gulf of
Mexico, it has created a dead zone larger than the size of New Jersey. Fishing has caused
a 90% decline in population of large fish sense 1950. Some examples of these large fish
are Tuna, Swordfish, Flounder, Cod, and Marlin. There is more to the problem then we

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eat too much seafood, also the process of catching these fish can have a harmful result.
Many fisherman drop lines that go for miles with hooks on it, and drop nets that go
1000s of feet under the oceans surface. Millions of tons of sea life is killed or injured in
fishing operations every year. This article is relevant to the research because it shows the
process of what pollution and overfishing can do to the ocean over time.
Tibbetts, John H. "Managing Marine Plastic Pollution." Environmental Health Perspectives
123.4 (2015): A90-A93. GreenFILE. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.
At these rates of plastic pollution, we could double the amount of plastic debris in
the ocean in only 9 or 10 years. Some countries have already identified and solved ways
to manage their plastic waste. Throughout the year, volunteers and organizations come
out to pick up plastic debris off the beach such as bottles, straws, caps and much more
trash. Beach cleanups are a very effective way of getting trash off our beaches. Majority
of the items found in these cleanups are plastic. Plastic items are so lightweight, they can
be carried by water currents or by wind. Nets and lines that have been lost or thrown
away also play a huge role in marine debris. The commercial ships lose many things out
at sea like plastic floats, traps, and many other items. Researchers have also estimated
that 20 countries are responsible for 83% of the plastic pollution into our worlds oceans.
Results have shown that developing countries near coastlines are the biggest contributors
to marine plastic pollution. Also growing cities with enormous populations are big
contributors as well. They didnt have the planning for populations exceeding the
millions. Nearly a third of the urban population in developing countries live in slums or
informal settlements that lack city services, including solid-waste disposal. The
population of coastal regions can also determine how much marine pollution they have

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contributed. For example, Chinas coastal population is about 2.5 times larger than that
of the United States but is estimated to produce more than 30 times more mismanaged
plastic waste. In the process of seeking solutions, in 2012, Ocean conservancy created a
new effort called the Trash Free Seas Alliance. This comprises of chemical and plastic
companies, producers of plastic consumer items, economic and environmental scientist,
and conservation groups and organizations. This alliance is using the knowledge and
expertise of its members to innovate and sustain strategies to eliminate marine pollution.
This article is relevant to the research because it shows how much plastic goes into the
ocean, and how people can help make the ocean a better place.