Effects of ocean pollution on marine plants are a lot type and form. Before we discuss the effects of ocean pollution we must know the meaning of pollution. Pollution is form of contamination that have harmful impact for ecology in general definition.
In ocean, pollution are contamination that can change marine ecosystem like changing the growth rate of species, killing many species, wasting ecosystem and others. Read more about Importance of Marine Protected Areas
Marine plants are plants that can grow at underwater of ocean or life near ocean like a coastal plants. Mangrove and seagrass are marine plants. Seaweed is not marine plants, they are algae or in biology we called protist.
In this article, both algae and other marine plants will be named marine plants. And the focus of this article is effects of ocean pollution on marine plants. There are numerous effect and some of them will be explained in these 13 effect of ocean pollution on marine plants.
- Alga bloom
Ocean pollution can increase some nutrient in ocean that can raise number of algae and cause algae blooming. Effects of alga bloom are killing other marine species life, oxygen trap, and others. Then the effect of alga bloom is killing marine plants need a long time to grow.
If alga bloom they will cover all seasurface and make underwater dark. Furthermore, alga bloom release toxin in ocean. Read more about Importance of algae in ocean
- Killing coral
Coral is marine animal species. But it is massive animal and make a habitat of marine plants like coral reef. If coral is killed by ocean pollution, marine plants will lose the habitat and die. Coral reef is an important habitat on sea.
Besides they give habitat for other species, they have a function to protect coastal from abrasion. So, coral protect other marine plants such as algae and seagrass. Read more about Importance of Coral Reef to the fishing industry
- Displacing species
Some of ocean pollution is introduction alien species at marine ecosystem. The alien species can change the natural composition of natural ecology. Then alien species will dominate the ecosystem and displace the endemic species like marine endemic plants.
Alien species in new ecosystem can be predator although they are only second consumer on food chain before. Because in the new ecosystem, they don’t have predator which will eat them. Read more about Biggest treats to ocean ecosystems
- Harmful alga
Harmful alga is like a alga bloom, but in high class on damage. Because, harmful alga will release toxin in ocean and kill other marine life. A lot of human activity can cause harmful alga happen.
Industry, agriculture, aquaculture and others can cause harmful alga happen by increasing some of nutrient. Some marine plants is reactive if number of nutrient increase. Some of them will be red tide or blood tide if nutrient on the ocean is raising. Read more about Ocean Phenomena
- Contaminating marine plants
Ocean pollution can contaminate marine plants. They will attach marine plants and contaminate them. Oil is one of ocean pollution that can attach marine plants and contaminate them too.
Then marine plant population will be decreased. Because marine plants can use their chlorophyll, so they can’t do photosynthesis. Oil spill is one accident that cause contaminating marine plants. Read more about Cause of oil pollution in The Ocean
- Carrying toxin
Marine plants is passive species. They only accept whatever water bring to them. Ocean pollution can make ocean waters contain toxin. If toxin is contaminating marine plants they will be dangerous species at marine life. Because marine plants is base of food chain. Toxin at marine plants will be accumulate and make other species die or make them get cancer. Read more about Effects of Ocean Pollution on Human Life
- Carrying disease
Carrying disease is like carrying toxin. But we call disease is caused by knowing name of abnormal situation. Disease is carried by marine plants come from ocean water. Bacterium and virus can life at ocean water. Then, they will contaminate marine plants and make marine plants contain disease. Disease at marine plants can damage other marine life.
- Introduce new disease
Alien species that enter to a ecosystem also bring a diseases. But alien species diseases is stranger thing at the ecosystem. So, they will develope their self to adapt at new ecosystem.
Meanwhile, after adapting, disease of alien species will be a new disease and they are different than before. Maybe the revolution of new disease will damage more marine plants then before.
- Changing food chain
Ocean pollution can raise number of marine plants. Then, they will dominate the ecosystem. After that they will changing food chain. Because a lot of marine species die. The increasing number of oxygen in water will make other marine species die. Read more about Importance of Marine Food Chain
- Increasing some species
Increasing number of marine plants can increase some species at marine or decrease some species too. But it is dangerous for ocean. Because the composition of marine habitat is changing. So, some species will dominate area and displace other species.
- Decreasing some species
Decreasing number of species is effect of domination some species. Because natural life is talking about balance. If some species is dominating area, some species must be replacing or displacing from this area. Marine plants that don’t have a good adaption will die or replace from their area.
- Damage Marine biodiversity
Ocean pollution can damage the marine biodiversity. Increasing some species and decreasing some species can change the ecosystem. Maybe some of them will be limited and become extinct.
The loss of a species will cause unbalancing ecosystem. Alien species, land run off, debris and others will make it happen and damage marine biodiversity especially marine plants.
- Changing composition on Ecosystem
Composition on natural ecosystem is stable. All part of natural ecosystem have a right number. But ocean pollution can change the composition by increasing number of one or many part at ecosystem. Ocean pollution can kill marine species or make them evolve to survive.
Maybe some of part ecosystem is loss. So, the composition is changing. Such as the previous point, ocean pollution can loss biodiversity. Read more about Deep Ocean Ecosystem
Those are 13 effects of ocean pollution on marine plants that you should know earlier. Ocean pollution can effect and damage marine plants. So please protect our marine plants by stopping ocean pollution.