Pollution of the Seas

Pollution enters the sea as run-off from land in rivers or pipes, from the air in rain or by solution of gases, by spillage during transport and by deliberate dumping of substances no longer required. Where off-shore was strong, the flow of sewage was less obvious, but many of the places began to experience increasing pollution by oil, spoiling clothes and belongings. If the pollution is constant, and particularly if it contains some of the lighter and more toxic fractions of oil, the whole plant population will eventually be poisoned. In the presence of an ecological disturbance, such as pollution, some of the species will be more vulnerable than others and will tend to disappear. Oil drilling operations are another source of continuous pollution and will affect marine populations in areas under exploitation. The pre-Stockholm International Working Group on Marine Pollution stated as one of the objectives of marine pollution control the identification of critical substances.