EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Much of this runoff flows to the sea, carrying with it agricultural fertilizers and pesticides. Eighty percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land. One of the biggest sources is called nonpoint source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff.

Detailed explanation-2: -The gyre in the North Pacific represents one-third of the plastic pollution in all oceans, with an estimated 2 trillion pieces. In fact, the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch is already a well-documented phenomenon, having been discovered by Charles Moore in 1997.

Detailed explanation-3: -The majority of pollutants that make their way into the ocean come from human activities along the coastlines and far inland. One of the biggest sources of pollution is nonpoint source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff.

Detailed explanation-4: -Land-based Sources of Marine Pollution 80% of marine pollution comes from land (Vanderzwaag and Powers, 2008). Pollution sources include untreated sewage, agricultural run-off, oils and heavy metals from industry, and sediment washed in from earthworks and logging. Coastal areas are especially sensitive.

Detailed explanation-5: -There are three main types of inputs of pollution into the ocean: direct discharge of waste into the oceans, runoff into the waters due to rain, and pollutants released from the atmosphere.