THE OCEANS AND SEA
Ever wondered about the state of the Marin Ecosystem? Each year, billions pounds of trash and other pollutants enter the Ocean. Where does this pollution come from? Where does it go? Some of the debris ends up on our beaches, washed in with the waves and tides. Some debris sinks, some are eaten by marine animals that mistake it for food and some accumulates in Ocean gyres.
Marine debris is a persistent pollution problem that reaches throughout the entire ocean and great lakes. The ocean and water ways are polluted with a wide variety of marine debris, ranging from tiny microplastics, smaller than 5mm, to derelict fishing gear and abandoned vessels. Across the globe, hundreds of marine species have been negatively impacted by marine debris which can harm or kill an animal when it is ingested or they become entangled and can threaten the habitants they depend on. Marine debris can also interfere with navigation safety and potentially pose a threat to human health.
Heavy metals and other contaminants can accumulate in seafood, making it harmful for humans to consume. Microplastics can be ingested by fishes and other species that filter their food out of the water. Plastics is almost inescapable in our daily lives. It’s used to make everything from food packaging to toiletries, clothing, furniture, computers and cars etc. This ubiquitous material is designed to be very durable and as a result, much of it doesn’t biodegrade. Depending on the type, plastics can take between a few decades to potentially millions of years to disintegrate In landfill. Consequently, unless it’s burned which itself causes pollution, nearly every piece of plastic every manufactured still exists today and when it enters the ocean, it’s effects can be felt for centuries.
WHERE DOES WASTE COME FROM?
Globally, we produce more than 300 million tons of plastics waste each year and that number is rising. Yet of all the plastic waste ever created, only over 9% has been recycled while the rest has been incinerated or discarded, mainly ending up in landfills. The major reason for this is nearly over 50% of the plastics we produce are single use, meaning it’s intended to be thrown away immediately after it has served it’s purpose. Practical example ranges from straws, plastic carrier bags to water bottles because it frequently produce and increases the amount that inevitably escapes into the environment.
WHY ARE THE OCEANS BADLY AFFECTED?
This happens to be a big question asked by approximately 19.5% of people with concern for the health and safety of the Oceans and Seas. Incredibly vast and deep, the ocean like a huge sink for global pollution. Some of the plastics in the Oceans originates from ships that lose cargo at seas. Abandoned plastics, fishing nets and longlines- known as ghost gear is also a large source, making up about 10% of plastic waste at sea. Marine aquaculture contributes to the problem, too mainly when the polystyrene foam thats used to make the floating frames of fish cages makes its way into the sea.
SOLUTION TO OCEANS AND SEAS POLLUTION
Detection and collection of marine plastics are essential to tackle the existing plastic pollution in our Oceans, by Oceantokens.
On the 27th April, 2022. We achieved one of our main goal of gathering 3500$ and deploying a new river barrier in Indonesia Padang. Currently, we’ve been able to cleanup a good numbers of trash and save the river constituency from trash dumps. More than a month has passed since we deployed our first river barrier and here are some updates below 👇
This barriers deployed in Indonesia Padang by Oceantokens had already gathered and cleaned precisely 531kg of trash so more than a half of toms of wastes that could directly go in the Ocean. With your help and support, we’ve grown bigger and spread across and we believe together, we can change something and achieve alot together.
To support our growing project and to help us develop new ways to clean our planet, you can invest in our main asset Oceantokens and $OCNT. Kindly join our Communities to participate in our project growth and Expansion.
