Solutions

An idea to reduce the amount of marine debris would be to implement strongly enforced laws on discarding fishing gear in the ocean. Make environmentally friendly, reusable choices the more affordable option for individual consumers and larger corporations. Choose environmentally friendly cleaners or hygiene products. Educate your friends/family about how pollution affects humans and the environment around us. You might motivate them to join you in your efforts. Even watching documentaries like the Albatross film with friends might speak to them and get them on board to live a greener lifestyle. I think adding a substance to non-biodegradable items that would stop animals from ingesting it could have a huge impact on all the aquatic and terrestrial species that are dying because their body cannot digest the material. Having proper water sanitation in certain countries could help with over nutrient or harming the species living in that body of water. Solutions can start ‘small’ on the local level but if you get enough people involved, then they can work their way up to having a huge, positive impact on the environment.

Image Information: People Picking up Trash, Web Source: Ocean Conservancy

Air Pollution, Web Source: Shockey Consulting 

Human Impact

Humans are directly affected by pollution in a variety of ways. Burning fossil fuels releases many chemicals into the air and that can impact our health. Air pollution puts people living in contaminated areas at a higher risk for respiratory diseases. If pesticides run off into local bodies of water that can disrupt your drinking water. If animals eat/drink contaminated plants or water and we then eat them we can ingest toxic chemicals. Some populations, such as places in Alaska or Northern Asia, would be affected by the extinction of Northern Fur Seals because they use them as a food source. Killer Whales, some shark species and Steller Sea Lions hunt Northern Fur Seals. If they went extinct, these predators would have to turn to another food source and we may see a decrease in the population of the predators or the new species they are now feeding on. The Waterwheel has conservation actions in place in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. This carnivorous plant plays a role in the aquatic food chain and the extinction of this species could disrupt the balance between other animal species that rely on the Waterwheel as a food source. Birds play a huge role in seed dispersal. Losing an animal like the Wandering Albatross could lead to a decrease of a plant's geographic range or a decrease of the population overall. Pollution can affect aquatic, terrestrial, and plant species in negative ways. Any species that is lost completely from an extinction driver will cause a rippling effect for the species that they coexist with.  

Bibliography:  IUCN Red List Information for Northern Fur Seals, Web Source: IUCN
 IUCN Red List Information for Waterwheel, Web Source: IUCN
Wandering Albatross Information from IUCN Red List, Web Source: IUCN

Image Information: Polluted Beach, Web Source: Green Peace
Polluted Earth, Web Source: India Celebrating 

Endangered Waterwheel

The Waterwheel is listed as endangered on the IUCN red list. Pollution is driving this species towards extinction through domestic/urban waste water, agricultural effluents, and industrial effluents. This plant species is rootless but resides in the water, so eutrophication can cause a decrease in this population because of the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. They have an optimal growth pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Acidification of the body of water they live in can have a negative impact on this species. Zooplankton is a requirement for their growth and reproduction, so if pollution kills the zooplankton supply, the Waterwheel cannot populate successfully. Their temperature growth range varies based on the plant's geographic location. Climate change would have more of an impact in this aspect because if the temperature goes out of range the plant will not be able to reproduce. Other than pollution, this species is affected by invasive species and agriculture factors. Habitat degradation also plays a smaller role in the decrease of the Waterwheel. The carnivorous character of the plant can cause physical pollution to become trapped in the plant and then the species would no  longer be able to function properly. 


Bibliography: IUCN Red List Information for Waterwheel, Web Source: IUCN
Waterwheel Species Identification, Web Source:  USGS
Image Information: Eutrophication, Web Source: Wikipedia
Trash Pollution in Water, Web Source: Sciencing

Waterwheel Plant

The Waterwheel (Aldrovanda vesiculosa) is the only known species of its genus. This plant is free-floating and rootless. This species does not grow past 20 cm in length. There leaves have bristles attached that help with protection against floating debris. The Waterwheel has a large geographic range, but it has reached extinction in eleven out of the forty-three countries it has been recognized in. This species has an optimal growth pH and temperature range, which I will discuss in more detail in a following post.  







Bibliography: Aldrovanda vesiculosa Identification from USGS, Web Source: USGS
Image Information: Waterwheel Plant, Web Source: Sarracenia
Waterwheel Plant in Hand, Web Source: NAS

Vulnerable Seals

The Northern Fur Seal is affected by pollution through oil spills and debris found in the ocean.  Seals use their thick fur for thermoregulation. When they become covered in oil their body cannot function properly  to warm them and many die from hypothermia. When seals or other marine mammals come up for air the oil can possibly irritate their eyes or skin. The seal colonies found at the California Channel and Farallon Island are at a large risk for oil spills because they are located by major harbors, shipping lanes and offshore oil extraction facilities.  Norther Fur Seals can get entangled by old fishing gear, or marine debris. The seals sometimes compete with fishing companies for their food. For instance, if they are found in areas with a large population of Walleye Pollock they are at a higher risk of getting lost in debris because fishing companies will be setting up their nets there. Plastic is used for a lot of fishing gear such as packing bands or some net materials. Mortality rates from these incidents are highest for juveniles and subadults and the rates are pretty equivalent for males and females. The rate was highest during the 1980’s because fishing efforts in the Bering Sea and North Pacific increased but becoming caught in debris is still a huge problem today.

Another extinction driver for Northern Fur Seals is harvesting. This species was discovered in the 18^th century and continued to be harvested until 1984. Other than the occasional harvest by certain Northern populations, levels of collection are declining because international agreements have been put in place to stop the exploitation of this species. They were also affected by the fur trade in the 18^th centuries before they were protected by the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention of 1911(Preservation and Protection of Fur Seals).

Bibliography: Preservation and Protection of Fur Seals, Web Source: Convention
IUCN Red List Information for Northern Fur Seals, Web Source: IUCN
Image Information: Seal Caught in Fishing Gear, Web Source: The Conversation
Seal with Gear Wrapped around Neck, Web Source: Pinterest

Vulnerable Albatross

Albatross mistake plastic for food and their body cannot digest this material. Researchers have found animals with a stomach full of non-biodegradable items. Sadly, they sometimes bring this food to their babies and the result is fatal. The chicks are being brought up in nests made out of plastic in some areas (Bird Life). A small portion of this species, specifically chicks, are killed by abandoned fishing debris. This contamination can take away places for them to nest or live, and it lowers their reproductive success (IUCN). Mercury and other persistent organic pollutants are having negative effects on the Wandering Albatross long-term breeding probability (Goutte, et al.). Although this species is largely affected by pollution, that is not the only factor pushing them towards extinction. Other drivers affecting this species include: invasive species, genes and diseases, hunting & fishing of animals, and climate change causing the shifting of their habitat. The only driver that's impact was from past events is the hunting portion. The other factors are ongoing and contribute to the Wandering Albatross current population decline.


 

Bibliography: Plastic Killed Albatross Chick on Nest by Bird Life, Web Source: Bird Life 
Wandering Albatross Information from IUCN Red List, Web Source: IUCN

• Goutte Aurélie
, 
• Barbraud Christophe
,
• Meillère Alizée
, 
• Carravieri Alice
,
• Bustamante Paco
, 
• Labadie Pierre
,
• Budzinski Hélène
, 
• Delord Karine
,
• Cherel Yves
, 
• Weimerskirch Henri
 ,and
• Chastel Olivier
 

Demographic consequences of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants in a vulnerable long-lived bird, the wandering albatross.281.Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, Web Source: Royal Society
Image Information: Albatross with Plastic in Stomach, Web Source: flickr
Albatross with Plastic in Stomach, Web Source: Wikimedia Commons