BENEATH THE SURFACE
INTRODUCTION
WHY I CREATED THIS WEBSITE
I was given the amazing opportunity to create a website as my final project for a History of the Oceans class at UCSB. Therefore, I took advantage of this occasion to spread awareness about what hides beneath the surface of our oceans by analyzing different sources.
Throughout history, humans have played a destructive role when it comes to the creation and management of waste and I would like to bring that information to the surface. This website also provides information on what YOU can do as an individual to help the ocean and its ecosystems become healthier and prevent it from further damage.
There are many sources that call to ocean pollution activism, such as art pieces, books, documentaries, and many more! In this website I will analyze these different types of sources and explain how they can be used to explain the underlying issue of plastic pollution.
Bicycle tire attached to a fishing net found off of the Mediterranean Coast in Spain (Plastic Pollution research in 2015).
The issue around pollution in the ocean has deeply made an impact on how I now view the world. The picture above is the amount of trash I collected on one beach (approximately within the span of 300 m) near my hometown Salou, Spain. This picture was taken in 2015, and ever since, I have been learning more about our role as humans in plastic pollution and how it affects marine life and its ecosystems. I am using this primary source as evidence that plastic pollution does end up in the oceans, the Mediterranean Sea in this case, and to emphasize that this has been a historical issue.
We cannot only blame plastics as causing a problem. It is US who produced it and our way of living that created the issue of ocean pollution. On the bright side, it is US who can and have to make a positive impact to save the ocean, its ecosystems, and ourselves.
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Plastic pieces collected during research include:
-cutlery
-water & shampoo bottles
- cups & straws
- bottle caps
- butter containers
- bags
WHAT DO THESE ITEMS HAVE IN COMMON?
You guessed it ... they're all SINGLE USE!
IF WE DON'T PICK IT UP, THEY WILL.
WHAT IS PLASTIC POLLUTION?
Plastic pollution is any plastic that ends up in the environment - from bottles and bags to less obvious sources like teabags and clothes.
In the past 100 years humans have produced and used a lot of plastic. It's cheap, strong, light and versatile, but it all eventually ends up in the ground, the air , and the sea - which is where marine animals (albatross, dolphins, turtles, and many more animals) ingest it.
Our plastic waste has invaded the highest mountains and deepest oceans. No one knows exactly how long it will take to disappear, but it's at least hundreds of years.
(Source: Friends of the Earth, "How to reduce plastic in the ocean")
Albatross suffocated and died from digesting plastics that were confused for food.
Image extracted from the Fred Foundation Website