(above) Workers clean up after an oil spill. The oiled dirt is bagged
and removed so that plants and animals can once again live off the land
and water, (right) A bird rescue worker holds a common loon that died as
a result of an oil spill.
The sea in danger
For millions of years, the sea was clean and filled with life. But
today, it is in danger.
Throughout the once-clean ocean there are now great floating patches of
scum and tarry gobs of oil. Mixed into the water are many kinds of
poisonous chemicals. Hundreds of places where sea creatures once lived
are now empty of life. In many places where people have taken food from
the sea for thousands of years, it is no longer safe to do so. Many sea
creatures are so filled with poison that to eat them means sickness or
death.
Why have these terrible things happened to the sea? There are many
reasons.
Many factories use large amounts of water for cooling hot machines, for
washing materials, and for mixing with chemicals. These factories were
built where there is plenty of water, next to rivers or at the sea’s
edge. Tons of water are pumped into the factories every day. After the
water is used, most of it is poured back into the sea, or into rivers
that carry it to the sea. Often, this used water contains poisonous
chemicals. And these chemicals are polluting the ocean.
The sea is also polluted by oil spilled by huge tankers, and by sewage
that pours into the water from thousands of cities.
It took people a long time to realize that the sea is in danger. But
now, scientists and many others are fighting to save the sea. Laws have
been passed to prevent harmful things from being put into the water. It
will be a long and hard job to save the sea. But it is a job that must
be done.
