Unfortunately Our Oceans are in big trouble. Humans have a negative impact on our oceans, causing coral reefs to die, sea-grass beds to shrink, beaches to be developed, and populations of fish, sea mammals, and reptiles to diminish. As the worlds human population grows, more and more communities worldwide dump their sewage, chemical poisons, and other pollutants into the rivers that flow into the seas.

Even cities such as New York City, where technological advancements are commonplace, have not solved their pollution problems. New York, like many American cities, has combined sewer overflows (CSOs) that carry both rainwater and sewage to waste treatment plants. This system works really well in dry weather, but during big storms, the rush of storm water overwhelms the treatment plants ability to clean up the pollution. When this happens, thousands of tons of raw sewage flood into the rivers and bays and eventually into the ocean.

Some scientists think that the poisons we put into the oceans are seriously affecting sea creatures, weakening their immune systems and making them vulnerable to diseases that they could normally resist.

Some research is showing a relationship between badly polluted coastal waters and the fibropapilloma tumors that kill green sea turtles. Jakarta Bay in Indonesia is one of the most polluted bodies of water on earth, and turtles living there have a much higher rate of FP than turtles living in nearby clean waters. Some researchers believe that the pollution is also helping normally rare viruses become more numerous. The viruses release a poison that is absorbed into the sea grasses. The turtles then eat the toxic sea grass and later develop FP tumors.

Scientists also think that the more people degrade the oceans, the worse marine diseases will become and the more likely it will become and the more likely it will be for more species to go extinct. Since the 1980s, as ocean conditions have worsened, the seas have been swept by new and terrible diseased. Mysterious, widespread, and devastating epidemics have killed dolphins, whales, porpoises, seals, sea turtles, sea urchins, and many other marine species.

All kinds of pollution can kill turtles. Oil spills from refineries, tankers, and Jet Ski’s and other small crafts are a major risk. Balls of tar and oil are sometimes eaten by turtles, poising them. These petrochemicals damage the turtle’s lungs, skin, and blood. These pesticides, heavy metals, and deadly PCBs are compounds that are toxic to the environment and build up in the tissue of animals. PCBs have been found in turtle flesh and fat as well as in their eggs.

Unfortunately, the pollution problem is hard to solve because no one wants to take responsibility for causing it or cleaning it up.