Marine Pollution

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Bookboon, 2013. — 231 p. — ISBN 978-87-403-0540-1Nothing so vast as Earth's Oceans. Nothing so unknown on our planet as its variety of life, in morphology and in functioning, as the billions of organisms sheltered in the waters. Nothing so important for maintaining a homeostatic equilibrium on Earth, beneficial for all its inhabitants, including mankind. And nowadays - nothing as threatened in its core existence: pollulion along the coasts and in the deep sea, mining of the resources so far buried under several kilometres of water, the atmospheric rise in carbon dioxide being buffered by the ocean's carbon sinks (changing conditions for life in that ocean), overfishing leading to a possible annihilation of all commercial fish stocks by 2050, invasive species being shuttled to all corners of the world by an ever-growing number of commercial ships, noise levels drowning out whale songs and shattering the ears of dolphins,. No, reading about the slate of the oceans is certainly not an agreeable activity and does not sooth our minds longing for a better and cleaner world.Contents Foreword <strong>What is pollution? Introduction Definitions Classification of pollution forms Sources Read more? <strong>How to measure pollution Measuring pollution is more dilficull than you think Measuring toxicity the classical way Using biological responses as a marker for pollution Molecular effects: single biomarkers Modern technology: ecotoxicogenomics Modifications to tissues and organs Biomarkers on the organismal level Effects on ecosystems Read more? <strong>Inorganic pollutants Inorganic nutrients and eutrophication Carbon dioxide and ocean acidification Metal pollution Read more? <strong>Oil and organic pollution The polluting organic chemicals Oil spills Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Halogenated hydrocarbons Read more? <strong>Newer forms of pollution Plastics Noise pollulion: the death of a thousand cuts Hitching a ride: invasive species Read more? <strong>Policy and pollution The How and Why of pollution: The Tragedy of the Commons The Oceans as Commons International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) MARTOL 73/78: it all started with oil pollution measures. The MARTOL Annexes: beyond oil pollution Read more? <strong>Envoi <strong>Endnotes

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