The ocean is the most beautiful, diverse and abundant ecosystem on the planet and covers over 71 percent of the world’s surface. It is so large that it has been divided into five oceanic divisions, all of which are connected.

San Diego is located just off the coast of the Pacific Ocean, which is the largest ocean on earth. It is roughly the same size as all the land on earth, put together.

However, there are many factors, which are putting our oceans at the brink of disaster and the biggest issue of all is, pollution. Pollution is the biggest killer of marine animals and plants, and it is not only caused by natural occurrences, it is also caused by man. Did you know that over eight billion tons of plastic is being dumped into the ocean, every year? Plastic has one of the most devastating effects on this ecosystem and is also affecting life on land.

Just off the coast of California, sits one of the largest ‘garbage islands’ on the planet. Known as the ‘North Pacific Gyre’ or the ‘Pacific Trash Vortex’, it is a made up of plastic, chemical sludge and other debris. This dangerous man-made island has been created by pollution that gets caught up in the strong currents, forming a floating island of trash. This trash can be mistaken as food by marine animals, which can then lead to a chain reaction, resulting in these fish or smaller animals being consumed by larger fish, inevitably ending up on our plates.

Pollution is damaging to the ocean and its inhabitants, it is also extremely dangerous for humans and if you would like to learn more about ocean pollution and how it can affect humans, then take a look at the fascinating infographic below, which will show you that one simple mistake such as not recycling your plastic properly, can lead to unimaginable damage to life on earth.  The infographic has been produced by a team from divein.com.

How ocean pollution affects humans – Graphic by the team at DIVE.in

By Andrew Dilevics