Ocean Pollution Facts for Kids – 5 Outstanding Facts About Ocean Pollution

Ocean pollution is not just affecting marine life it also affecting our everyday life. Let’s learn five outstanding ocean pollution facts for kids.

Ocean Pollution Facts for Kids Fact Number 1: Some Plastic in The Ocean Is so Small It Can’t Be Seen

They are called microplastics. These plastic particles are so small that some can’t be seen by the naked eye but they still cause problems for animals that eat them by accident. What happens is that plastic which ends up in the ocean is slowly broken into more and more pieces because of sunlight and the action of being tossed in the waves. All marine life is affected by microplastics and scientists are still trying to measure their impact.

Ocean Pollution Facts for Kids Fact Number 2: There Is an Island Made of Trash in The Ocean

This is an area called The Great Pacific Garbage Patch and it measures three times the size of France. It is created by trash from all over the world which is pulled together by the tides to come together in a large mass that looks like an island. Scientists and activists are researching and creating technology which can be used to suck up this waste so that it can be removed from the ocean and properly recycled or disposed of to reduce its impact on marine life.

Ocean Pollution Facts for Kids Fact Number 3: Oil Spills Are a Major Cause of Ocean Pollution

Crude Oil is a fossil fuel used to power machinery and to create plastics. It is often mined from the ground under the sea floor but also from locations over land. When pipes carrying oil from under the sea burst or tankers transporting oil over the sea sink it can cause what is called an oil spill. An oil spill is one of the most sudden cases of ocean pollution. The oil can suffocate fish as well as sea birds that swoop in to catch fish creating a lot of damage to the sea life in an area.

But most oil entering the ocean enters through leakage from the land or infrastructure father than a large spill. Only around 12% of oil spilled into the ocean is spilled during a large scale disaster.

Ocean Pollution Facts for Kids Fact Number 4: Some Marine Life Mistake Plastic for Prey and Eat It

Marine predators eat lots of different prey which come in varied shapes and sizes as fish are a very diverse species, that means that unfortunately it is easier for marine life to mistake plastic particles and objects for food. Turtles often eat plastic bags for example, as they mistake them for jellyfish. This plastic fills up their stomach meaning they can’t eat but it has no nutritional value and cannot break down meaning the marine life starve.

Ocean Pollution Facts for Kids Fact Number 5: Picking up Litter on The Beach Is an Easy Way to Help The Ocean

Every person can make a difference by doing a few little things, next time you visit the beach why not pick up a few bits of rubbish you see to stop them ending up in the ocean. Always take any rubbish you bring with you to a bin or home with you when visiting beaches and try to use less single-use plastics. These are all ways we can help reduce ocean pollution.

We hope you enjoyed learning more things about ocean pollution as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic the environment is, you can move on to learn about other STEM articles like: Carbon Footprint, Carbon Cycle and Oceans.

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