Man's Effect on Deep Ocean - Scary Study

[avb3]

Most have seen signs of anthropogenic (human) caused negative effects on oceans.

What is scary is this new study that shows some of the long term effect of deep ocean habitats, flora and fauna.

Here is one excerpt:

In the past, the main human impact affecting deep-sea ecosystems was the dumping or disposal of litter into the oceans. These activities were banned in 1972, but their consequences are still present today, together with the continuing illegal disposal of litter from ships and the arrival of litter and contaminants from coastal areas and river discharges. In particular, the accumulation of plastics on the deep seafloor, which degrade into microplastics, called mermaid tears, that can be ingested by the fauna, has consequences still unknown but predicted to be important. Moreover, there is increasing evidence of the accumulation of chemical pollutants of industrial origin, such as mercury, lead and persistent organic pollutants (e.g. dioxins, PCBs) in the sediment and fauna, including in species of commercial interest.

[justlearnin]

WE make a mess of everything we touch.

[T1 Terry]

From the same report

During the Census of Marine Life program, a ten-year program that investigated diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the global ocean and which ended inn 2010, researchers from its five deep-sea projects sampled and studied the different deep-sea habitats around the globe. The analysis of the current article is based on the results of the Census of Marine Life projects, synthesized during SYNDEEP, and also from data published previously in the scientific literature.

If it finished in 2010 the effect of the radio active material pouring into the ocean from the Japanese atomic reactor disaster hasn't even been looked at here. This one is an even more serious issue with no idea just how far this contamination will spread, word is that it is still happening now.

T1 Terry

[Blue Stocking]

We are committing our grandchildren's suicide.

[mdvick]

I am, among other things, a PADI dive instructor. I have been blessed with the opportunity to dive all over the world. I was in Guam and during WWII the navy would not use the harbor to resupply submarines due to the narrow harbor entrance, so they used the cliffs to resupply the subs and you would not believe the amount of lead acid batteries and ammunition that was dumped overboard just offshore. We are truly our own worst enemies. There are some unbelieveable sites underwater. It does give hope that we have not completely destroyed the viability of the oceans.

[WarmBreeze]

These activities were banned in 1972, but their consequences are still present today, together with the continuing illegal disposal of litter from ships and the arrival of litter and contaminants from coastal areas and river discharges. In particular, the accumulation of plastics on the deep seafloor, which degrade into microplastics,

Unfortunately there are still too many humans out there that do NOT take how our litter etc is so detrimental to the health of our planet. Particularly the oceans (waters). Considering that the earth is made up mostly of Ocean (water) one would think there would be more respect. Yet there is not.

This is something that has enraged me for years and one of the many things I teach my children about.

Makes me wonder how many people would be alright with litter being dumped into the living rooms of their houses.

[SoulJah]

Will it be our Great Grandchildren or our Great, Great Grandchildren that will inherit one entire pacific GYRE?

Only after the last tree has been cut down
Only after the last river has been poisoned
Only after the last fish has been caught
Only then will man realise that he can't eat money.
Cree Indian Prophecy

Check this out,

‪Charles Moore: Sailing the Great Pacific Garbage Patch‬‏ - YouTube

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Sun Goddezz

. . . Makes me wonder how many people would be alright with litter being dumped into the living rooms of their houses.

Actually in Philadelphia that is not uncommon as this news photo shows:

[BareFtGrl]

I love TED! A great collaboration of thinkers! I wish we could shock more people into understanding what's really happening on this planet.

[WarmBreeze]

To osirisail, that is a picture from Hoarders.

There have been many times where my kids and I have cleaned up quite a bit of surfaced garbage in the water and on shorelines.

As for our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, I am just hoping that they have an Ocean life to take care of in the future.

[sdowney717]

are people today any different than thousands of years before?
Archaeologists treasure the dumps of the past.

The oceans are a dumping ground but it cleans up itself over the long haul of the eons.
Anything on the bottom eventually will be subducted into the mantle. Including radioactive nuclear sub cores from the soviet era. That stuff is really bad much worse than plastic waste which to me is mostly just ugly. If a few zooplankton eat it and die, more zoo plankton will take their place.

Russia

Historically, the Soviet Union and Russia have disposed of radioactive waste in three ways: by dumping it into the Baltic and Arctic Seas as well as into the northern Pacific (primarily the Sea of Japan);

HOW COME you hear nothing about the nuclear waste but the mostly harmless floating ugly plastic garbage figures prominently

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by sdowney717

. . . HOW COME you hear nothing about the nuclear waste but the mostly harmless floating ugly plastic garbage figures prominently

Obviously a rhetorical question but very indicative of current media attention. If you can't see it - so what?
- - This type of discussion has been hashed out extensively on CF in the old Plankton thread. But think for a minute, of the 7 billion people on this planet how many really care about the environment?
- - I would submit that only those people with higher education and excess time and money can afford to care about the environment. And that is an extremely small amount of people. Everybody else is busy trying to just stay alive and feed and house their family.
- - Social responsibility is really great, but not very practical and it doesn't put food on the table today.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Sun Goddezz

Unfortunately there are still too many humans

Fixed that for you.

Someday, we'll be chunks of somebody else's coal. I find that lends perspective.

[WarmBreeze]

Thanks, Alchemy, for fixing that.

It is not just about the floating plastics found. We, as the human race, I must include myself in that statement as I am human, we need to do more across the board about the contaminants we disperse wherever we choose. Not caring about the affect it will have on our future.

As long as there is something to build, make or destroy, by man and man is left to his own devices and freedoms to do so, this will be an ongoing problem. Be it in the sea or on land. Consciousness is key.

While things can not be reversed they can be rectified.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Sun Goddezz

. . . and man is left to his own devices and freedoms to do so, . . .

That is the $64K question - how do you get the world's people to be socially conscious without also invoking a dictatorship type government and losing your liberty and freedom in the process?
- - Never any easy answers in life - so I suppose sv Alchemy's "perspective" is quite on target.