Protection of the Marine Environment

Abstract

The marine environment is vulnerable to different kinds of pollution emanating from various sources as depicted in Fig. 14.1. It is well-known that land-based sources of pollution are the most damaging to the marine environment both in terms of quantity as well as severity. There is also pollution coming from the seabed itself incidental to oil exploration and exploitation activities. Air-borne pollution resulting from land-based carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions entering the sea in the form of acid rain is another source. Finally there is ship-source marine pollution, the harmful effects of which are relatively less whether they enter the sea directly from the ship or through the atmosphere as air pollution in the form of NO_x or SO_x. Be that as it may, this chapter is mainly concerned with ship-generated pollution and the focus is largely on oil pollution. The pollution types and their sources are best explained graphically and diagrammatically. The marine pollution continuum diagram and the marine pollution spectrum chart (Fig. 14.2) depict not only the philosophy of combating marine pollution but also the international convention regimes designed and articulated to address the pertinent issues respecting ship-generated marine pollution.