The health, resilience and productivity of marine and coastal ecosystems is increasingly affected by pollution, including land-based nutrient, pesticide and plastic pollution. Point source pollution occurs when there is a single, identifiable, localized source of the pollution. An example is directly discharging sewage and industrial waste into the ocean. Pollution such as this occurs particularly in developing nations.citation needed Nonpoint source pollution occurs when the pollution is from ill-defined and diffuse sources.
However, human activities have contributed to ocean pollution, putting at risk ecosystems, wildlife, human life and economies. By understanding ocean pollution facts and statistics, you can help reduce your own impact on the ocean and take vital steps in reducing this global crisis. Disposable and single-use plastic is abundantly used in today’s society, from shopping bags to shipping packaging to plastic bottles. Changing society’s approach to plastic use will be a long and economically challenging process. Many types of debris (including some plastics) do not float, so they are lost deep in the ocean. These patches are less like islands of trash and, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says, more like flecks of microplastic pepper swirling around an ocean soup.
Our key finding is that there is an awful lot of very, very small microplastic particles in the upper Atlantic Ocean, much higher than previously estimated. The amount of plastic has been massively underestimated- Katisaryna Pabortsava, UK’s National Oceanography Centre. The ocean is the origin and the engine of all life on this planet — and it is under threat. These were later followed by voluntary agreements which the authors say may have been less effective, and could explain the rise in plastics from around 2000 onwards.
Fact 8: Even nutrients can become harmful
Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial, agricultural, and residential waste; particles; noise; excess carbon dioxide; or invasive organisms enter the ocean and cause harmful effects there. The majority of this waste (80%) comes from land-based activity, although marine transportation significantly contributes as well.1 It is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.2 Since most inputs come from land, via rivers, sewage, or the atmosphere, it means that continental shelves are more vulnerable to pollution. Air pollution is also a contributing factor, as it carries iron, carbonic acid, nitrogen, silicon, sulfur, pesticides, and dust particles into the ocean.3 The pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff, wind-blown debris, and dust. Marine life can be susceptible to noise or the sound pollution from sources such as passing ships, oil exploration seismic surveys, and naval low-frequency active sonar.
Pathways of pollution
It helps reduce CO2 emissions, regulate global temperatures, and slow down the rate of global warming. But in recent years, ocean pollution has become a major concern, and it continues to grow. Through human activities such as over-consumption, the use of single plastics, poor recycling practices and waste management, we have slowly begun to destroy the ocean. Failing to protect our oceans will increase climate change, leading to devastating consequences for human life. Many potentially toxic chemicals adhere to tiny particles which are then taken up by plankton and benthic animals, most of which are either deposit feeders or filter feeders.
The Seabin project’s goal is to help remove plastic, oil and other pollutants from marinas, harbours and other waterways. They use their own specialised device, the “Seabin”, which works as a fish tank-like filtration device to remove debris and clean the waterways. As of 2023, the Seabin Project confirmed that they have removed 4.7 million plastic items, including 2.3 million microplastics. With littering, poorly managed waste facilities and overflowing landfills and bins being major contributors. These plastics are often carried by drainage systems, wind, rain and floods, with rivers playing a massive role in carrying plastic waste inland to the ocean.
Different types of marine pollution can be grouped as pollution from marine debris, plastic pollution, including microplastics, ocean acidification, nutrient pollution, toxins, and underwater noise. Plastic pollution in the ocean is a type of marine pollution by plastics, ranging in size from large original material such as bottles and bags, down to microplastics formed from the fragmentation of plastic materials. Marine debris is mainly discarded human rubbish which floats on, or is suspended in the ocean. The ocean is a mysterious and vast environment which is home to thousands of biodiverse ecosystems, providing livelihoods to billions of people and supporting communities throughout the world.
Individuals can help reduce ocean pollution by increasing their efforts in recycling, reducing the use of plastic by opting for biodegradable products and support ocean conservation. In the 1980s several legally-binding international agreements mandated countries to stop discarding fishing and naval plastics in the oceans, as well as to clean up certain amounts. Working with fishers to keep ghost gear out of the ocean not only benefits marine wildlife – it improves the coastal environment for fishing communities. By engaging with businesses, we aim to transform the plastic value chain, creating more circular systems from beginning to end. This includes reducing use, redesigning packaging, increase reuse and recycling, and the use of sustainable alternative materials where appropriate.
- Our key finding is that there is an awful lot of very, very small microplastic particles in the upper Atlantic Ocean, much higher than previously estimated.
- Understanding ocean pollution statistics is essential for taking meaningful action to combat and reduce pollution.
- From microplastics in our bodies to declining fish populations, the effects of ocean pollution extend far beyond the ocean.
- The London Convention, ratified in 1975 by the United States, was the first international agreement to spell out better protection for the marine environment.
Global goals
Plastic pollution seeps into the ocean through run-off and even purposeful dumping. The garbage patch floating in the Pacific Ocean, almost 620,000 square miles—twice the size of Texas—is a powerful image of our plastic problem. There are different ways for the ocean to get polluted, therefore there have been multiple laws, policies, and treaties put into place throughout history. In order to protect the ocean from marine pollution, policies have been developed internationally. A garbage patch is a large area in the ocean consisting of floating plastic, litter and debris which comes together due to ocean currents. The concentration of plastics in the oceans has significantly increased from around 16 trillion pieces in 2005 to 171 trillion in 2019.
- Plastic kills fish and sea animals and takes hundreds of years to break down into less harmful materials.
- Members of Kimo provide fishing men with large bags to collect any plastic and waste they encounter during fishing.
- Toothed whales use echolocation—emitting sounds that reflect off surfaces—to help them “see” in the ocean.
Kimo, a multinational organisation comprised of several European countries, is making headway in removing waste from the ocean by creating “Fishing for litter”. Members of Kimo provide fishing men with large bags to collect any plastic and waste they encounter during fishing. Not only does it help remove waste but increases awareness in the fishing community. Ocean pollution threatens human health by increasing people’s exposure to harmful chemicals and plastics which are linked to infertility, cancer and neurological disorders. It also disrupts economies by depleting fish stocks, harming tourism, and displacing millions due to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
This is why it is essential to familiarise yourself with current facts about ocean pollution. By educating yourself on ocean pollution statistics, you can make conscious efforts to fight climate change and help reduce waste in our oceans. In this statistical overview, we will dive into the most up-to-date ocean pollution facts, highlighting the urgent need for action. Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.
Land runoff
By working to establish effective extended producer responsibility programs, we also aim to increase the accountability of businesses for plastic pollution. Moving forward, encouraging recycling and reuse can minimize plastic pollution. And encouraging responsible chemical-use through consumer and political actions can protect the environment for the future. Bits of plastic swirl throughout the water column, even sinking to the deepest depths of the ocean.
Factors behind top ocean polluters in 2025
Microplastics are less than five millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter and have been detected in a range of marine species, including plankton and whales. When small organisms that consume microplastics are eaten by larger animals, the toxic chemicals then become part of their tissues. In this way, the microplastic pollution migrates up the food chain, eventually becoming part of the food that humans eat. PFAS are an important emerging class of man-made persistent toxicants that contain extremely strong carbon-fluorine bonds which make these chemicals extremely difficult to break down. Ballast water taken up at sea and released in port is a major source of unwanted exotic marine chicken road game life.
Prof Richard Thompson at Plymouth university, who was not involved in the study, said the estimate adds to what scientists know about marine pollution. Scientists say we do not yet know enough about whether microplastics negatively affect human health. Plastic kills fish and sea animals and takes hundreds of years to break down into less harmful materials. Dr Eriksen says scientists are not sure why this is, but it could be explained by stronger legislation being replaced by voluntary agreements, the breakdown of plastics, or the fact that less data was collected.
Plastic waste is another huge contributor to ocean pollution and contributes to about 80% of marine debris, according to IUCN, which can be caused by non-point sourcing, where rainwater or snowmelt washes away plastic from overflowing landfills and bins. However, unintentional or intentional dumping also contributes to plastic waste in our oceans. A huge culprit is single-use plastics, used once before tossed into the trash or directly into the ocean.
Even pharmaceuticals ingested by humans, but not fully processed by our bodies, end up in aquatic food webs. Before 1972, humans around the word spewed trash, sewage sludge, and chemical, industrial, and radioactive wastes into the ocean with impunity. Millions of tons of heavy metals and chemical contaminants, along with thousands of containers of radioactive waste, were purposely thrown into the ocean. A wide range of pollution—from plastic pollution to light pollution—affects marine ecosystems. Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean include pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, detergents, oil, industrial chemicals, and sewage.
Ocean cleanup: current efforts & costs
There seems to be one emerging scientific consensus, which is that most of that plastic is not floating on the ocean surface.-Roland Geyer. The authors argue that solutions must focus on reducing the amount of plastic produced and used, rather than cleaning up oceans and recycling plastics because this is less likely to stop the flow of pollution. The highest concentration of ocean plastic is currently in the Mediterranean Sea, with some large floating masses found elsewhere including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Many national laws, as well as international agreements, now forbid dumping of harmful materials into the ocean, although enforcing these regulations remains a challenge. Today, we need look no further than the New Jersey-size dead zone that forms each summer in the Gulf of Mexico, or the thousand-mile-wide belt of plastic trash in the northern Pacific Ocean to see that this early “policy” placed a once flourishing ocean ecosystem on the brink of collapse. By improving waste management systems and focusing heavily on better ways to recycle plastic, we can prevent the number of plastic and trash from increasing exponentially each year.
We are strongly backing efforts to secure a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution. Scientists are starting to better understand how specific pollutants, leached into the ocean from other materials, affect marine wildlife. PFAS, a chemical incorporated into many household products, accumulates in human and marine mammal blood.
The 171 trillion pieces are made up of both recently discarded plastics and older pieces that have broken down, lead author Dr Marcus Eriksen from the 5 Gyres Institute told BBC News. To produce this new estimate, a group of scientists analysed records starting in 1979 and added recent data collected on expeditions that trawl the seas with nets to collect plastics. Isolated efforts to restore estuaries and bays have met with some success, but pollution gets trapped in marine sediment and makes complete clean-ups nearly impossible. The Indian Ocean is the second most polluted ocean in the world despite its vast biodiversity and support of multiple communities who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.