Ocean Pollution
This is the term for plastic debris that accumulates in large swirling currents in the ocean, notably the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
What is marine debris
The decline of this apex predator, due to overfishing, can disrupt marine food chains, leading to imbalances in ocean ecosystems.
What is the shark?
This major 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was caused by an explosion on an offshore drilling rig.
What is the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill?
The warming of ocean waters, largely caused by human activity, leads to coral bleaching, disrupting marine ecosystems.
What is global warming?
The deepest part of the world's oceans, located in this ocean, is known as the Mariana Trench.
What is the Pacific Ocean?
This percentage of all plastic waste in the ocean comes from land-based sources.
What is 80%
The practice of catching fish before they have reached maturity is known as this, and it exacerbates the problem of overfishing.
What is overfishing?
The Exxon Valdez oil spill, which occurred in 1989, released oil into the waters of this U.S. state.
What is Alaska?
This increase in the Earth's atmospheric temperature is contributing to ocean acidification, which can affect marine life, especially organisms with shells.
What is climate change?
This ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five oceans.
What is the Arctic Ocean?
This plastic item, commonly found in beaches and marine environments, is often mistaken for food by sea turtles.
What is a plastic bag?
This method of fishing, which involves large nets or trawls, can catch unintended species, contributing to the problem of overfishing.
What is bycatch?
The release of this chemical substance from oil spills causes severe damage to marine life, affecting their health and reproduction.
What is petroleum?
Rising ocean temperatures are a major contributor to this process, where heat leads to an imbalance in oxygen and nutrients in the water, causing species to suffer.
What is ocean stratification?
This activity, popular in coastal areas, often leads to physical damage to coral reefs from anchors, trampling, and souvenir collection.
What is snorkeling or scuba diving?
This initiative, involving individuals and organizations cleaning up beaches and coastlines, is one of the ways people are trying to reduce marine litter.
What is a beach cleanup or ocean cleanup project?
This strategy aims to limit the catch of fish by implementing quotas, fishing seasons, or gear restrictions to allow fish populations to recover.
What are sustainable fishing practices? (SFP)
These marine creatures are particularly affected by oil spills due to their reliance on clean water for breathing and reproduction.
What are sea otters?
This species, whose shells are made of calcium carbonate, is highly vulnerable to ocean acidification, and it plays a vital role in marine ecosystems.
What is the oyster?
This sea, which is bordered by over 30 countries, holds the title of the largest body of saltwater in the world.
What is the Mediterranean Sea?
This marine animal, which filters water for food, is often killed by the ingestion of microplastics, which are small plastic particles that enter the ocean via human activity.
What is a whale
The loss of these important marine ecosystems, due to overfishing and other human activities, can affect coastal protection, water quality, and food security.
The practice of offshore drilling increases the likelihood of this dangerous event, which has long-term ecological impacts on the oceans.
What is an oil spill?
The growing acidity of the oceans is expected to reduce the ability of marine ecosystems to absorb this gas, further intensifying global warming.
What is carbon dioxide (CO2)?
The longest coastline in the world belongs to this country.
What is Canada?