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webs? -- Why is there concern about the state of the oceans? -- What is a contaminant? Is there a difference between a pollutant and a contaminant? -- What are the major sources of pollution to the marine environment? -- What are the major ways that land-?based pollutants enter the marine environment? |
Which pollutants enter the ocean from the air? -- Can objects in the water cause pollution? -- How can aquaculture cause pollution? -- Once in the water, what happens to the pollutants? -- How do chemicals get into marine animals? -- What is toxicity? -- What effects can pollutants have besides killing living things? -- How is the degree of toxicity measured? -- How can field studies be used to understand toxicity? -- Why are some species more sensitive to pollution than others? -- What laws regulate marine pollution? -- Why are some contaminants that have been banned still a problem? |
How extensive and severe is marine pollution around the world? -- 2. Nutrients -- Why are nutrients considered pollutants if they are required for life? -- Where do the nutrients come from? -- How does a sewage treatment plant work? -- What is combined sewer overflow (CSO)? -- What are concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO)? -- What effects do excess nutrients have, or what is eutrophication? -- What effects are seen in seagrasses? -- What effects are seen in coral reefs? -- What is a "dead zone"? -- Can excess nutrients damage salt marshes? -- How widespread is eutrophication? |
What are harmful algal blooms (HABs)? -- What are some harmful algal species? -- How widespread is their occurrence? -- What are the economic costs of HABs? -- What can be done to reduce farm runoff? -- What can be done to reduce runoff from cities and suburbs? -- What can be done about combined sewer overflow? -- What techniques in the water can reduce the effects of eutrophication? -- What is the prognosis for eutrophication in the future? -- 3. Metals -- What are the major sources of metal pollutants? -- What are some highly mercury-?contaminated sites? |
How does the form of the metal affect what it does? -- Where do metals concentrate in the environment? -- What are the toxic effects of different metals? -- What can organisms do to defend themselves against metal toxicity? -- Can elevated levels of metals in seafood be a risk to humans? -- What are the trends in metal pollution? -- What can be done to reduce metal pollution? -- What is "natural attenuation"? -- What is capping? -- What is confined aquatic disposal? -- What is bioremediation of metals? -- What is phytoremediation? -- 4. Oil and Related Chemicals -- What are the components of oil? |