UNAIR NEWS- Sea is the largest part of the planet that contributes significantly to human life. Apart from being a source of food, the sea is also the largest oxygen producer on Earth.
The industrial intensification and increasing human population resulted in extraordinary human interventions to marine ecosystems because all industrial and domestic waste on land will end up in the ocean. It is very worrying, especially for Indonesia, which is the largest archipelagic country.
Eka Saputra, S.Pi., M.Si., said that the sea has a ‘multiplier effect’, which plays a vital role in the ecosystem’s sustainability on Earth. In the activity titled “Casual Talk with BEM of the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences conducted on Saturday, August 28, 2021, the FPK UNAIR lecturer said that pollution in the ocean could have a far-reaching impact on human life.
“What is most visible today is in the food sector, with marine pollution, fish stocks in the waters are depleting; as a result, fishermen have a decreased income and fish prices are soaring,” said Eka.
He also revealed that pollutants could poison phytoplankton as the main producers of the marine food chain system in extreme conditions. In addition to messing up the marine food chain system, the destruction of phytoplankton can also affect the availability of O2 on Earth.
Eka also explained that some pollutants that often occur in the oceans include oil, heavy metals, pesticides, and garbage.
Oil spillage
With an increasing oil demand, oil transportation activities between countries also increase. Cases of accidents cause oil spillage in the ocean. It is undoubtedly dangerous because organic oil bonds take a long time to decompose, at least 1-2 years.
“It will be hazardous for organisms. Oil can prevent the diffusion of oxygen in the waters, besides, he continued that, marine and brackish water ecosystems can also be damaged,” said Eka.
Heavy metal
Heavy metals are produced mainly by industrial waste, cosmetics, and other industries. Heavy metals are very dangerous because they are toxic and cannot be decomposed naturally by living organisms. Therefore, heavy metals in the waters will accumulate and impact humans at the top of the food chain.
“Several cases such as Minamata Bay and the Itai-Itai disease in Japan are enough to explain the danger of heavy metal if it is not managed carefully,” said Eka.
Pesticides
Pesticides are products that are commonly used in the agricultural sector to kill pests. Some pesticides, such as organochlorines that have neurotoxin properties that can damage nerve tissue. Just like heavy metals, pesticides also undergo bioaccumulation which can be dangerous.
“Pesticide compounds can damage the nervous system, inhibit growth and development, and in high doses, it can cause the death of aquatic organisms,” said Eka.
Garbage
Garbage is the biggest pollutant in the ocean. Garbage, especially plastic, cannot be decomposed and will only be fragmented into microplastics, harmful to humans and marine organisms. In addition, domestic waste mostly also contains organic materials that can cause eutrophication in the waters.
“In brackish waters, eutrophication may result in the depletion of oxygen content which can have a major effect on organisms and plants that grow there,” concluded Eka. (*)
Author: Ivan Syahrial Abidin
Editor: Nuri Hermawan (AC/AP)
