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Ocean Pollution

Ocean pollution is a major concern for New Zealand and the world. Explore the sources of ocean pollution (plastic, mining, acidification, sewage etc.) and the impact (Pacific Garbage Patch, dead zones) it has had on marine life and ecology. SCIS no: 1908761

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Govt checking Rocket Lab for ocean litter

Govt checking Rocket Lab for ocean litter

A NIWA report has found the ecological impact of jettisoned rocket debris is less than pollution from the fishing industry, but a build-up of debris on the ocean floor from repeated launches could ...

The US push for global strategy to save the world's oceans

The US push for global strategy to save the world's oceans

The US Secretary of State John Kerry wants a global strategy to save the world's oceans from over-fishing, climate change and pollution. The Director of the US Office of Ocean and Polar Affairs, Ev...

'The Sea: A Place to Live' artwork, 1980

'The Sea: A Place to Live' artwork, 1980

World Oceans Day is observed around the world each year on 8 June. On this day people across the planet celebrate and honour the ocean, and use the day to educate people about the importance of the...

Plastic pollution in the ocean

Plastic pollution in the ocean

A set of resources on the impact of plastic on oceans.

Jeremy Jackson: How we wrecked the ocean

Winter, Mark 1958-: The FISSION industry. 6 April 2011

Winter, Mark 1958-: The FISSION industry. 6 April 2011

Text reads 'Japan dumps radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean'. Further text reads 'The fission industry' and in the sea below swim dozens of radioactive fish. Context - following the earthquak...

Bill Riley's art from waste

Bill Riley's art from waste

Christchurch abstract artist Bill Riley collects rubbish from the beaches where he goes surfing - so much rubbish, that he's weaving it into his latest art exhibition to make a point about ocean po...

Blue Charter on Ocean Governance adopted at CHOGM

The 53 Commonwealth nations have adopted the Blue Charter on Ocean Governance, as the leaders' summit ended in London, Friday 20 April.

Contaminants found near Rena wreck

Contaminants found near Rena wreck

Scientists studying the environmental effects of the Rena wreck say further testing is needed to decide how to fix contaminated areas of the Astrolabe reef.

Tonnes of oil spill into Great Barrier marine park

Tonnes of oil spill into Great Barrier marine park

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is expected to fly over the Great Barrier Reef later this morning to inspect the damage done by a Chinese coal ship leaking oil into the ocean.

Massive South Pacific Ocean garbage patch ‘a dead place’

A marine conservation who has just returned from an expedition to survey a massive 'garbage patch' in the South Pacific ocean says it's completely devoid of marine life.

Concern at potential risks in sea floor mining in the Pacific

Concern is growing in the Pacific region over the potential social and environmental effects of sea floor mining. These concerns are being raised ahead of a regional meeting in Fiji...

Fish off at Fukushima

Fish off at Fukushima

On March 11, 2011 a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the Pacific Coast of Tōhoku, Japan. This resulted in meltdowns of three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Thousands of p...

Atomic test era tomb leaking in to the Pacific

Rising sea levels have sparked new concerns about a nuclear waste dump 5000 kilometres north of New Zealand.

Ocean Acidification - What does it mean for Shellfish?

Ocean Acidification - What does it mean for Shellfish?

This video has been produced to highlight ocean acidification as a potential issue affecting the NZ shellfish aquaculture industry. The video is a direct result of the collaborative NZ-US workshop ...

Research papers

New Zealand’s changing climate and oceans: The impact of human activity and implications for the future

The purpose of this report is to provide New Zealand with an update on the current scientific understandings of climate change and the ways in which...

Unhealthy Oceans

Unhealthy Oceans

A new study shows the impact of humans on the seas of the world.

A regional strategy to address marine pollution from World War II wrecks [electronic resource].

Group renews call for reform of marine practices

An environmental advocacy group has renewed its call for reform of marine management, following warnings from scientists that the world's oceans are on the brink of collapse.

Niue marine park to preserve ocean for future generations

Niue has just announced a new marine park in a bid to conserve and protect its marine resources for future generations.

Marine conservation: Pollution

By international standards New Zealand’s coastal waters are relatively clean, although in areas close to larger centres they are more polluted. Little is known about the state of waters beyond the ...

Marine Pollution Amendment 1988 No.93 [electronic resource].

Land degradation bigger threat to marine ecology than shipping says Pacific consultant

A Pacific environmental consultant says land-based sources of marine pollution are more of a threat to marine ecology than oil spills. Awareness of the risks of a shipping-related environmental cat...

OCEAN PERILS (Evening Post, 13 June 1925)

Organisms in ballast water

Organisms in ballast water

There is increasing concern over the state of the oceans, and introduced marine pests are a serious threat. Noxious organisms are often carried across the world in the ballast water of ships. When ...

Mercury study prompts warning over Pacific fish diet

People in the Pacific are being advised to avoid certain fish after a study revealed high levels of mercury in hair samples from the region.

New agreement to restrict deep sea trawling in South Pacific ocean

A new agreement to restrict deep sea trawling in the South Pacific ocean affirms earlier moves by Pacific countries to protect their marine resources. The interim measure was agreed to...

Protected areas shown to help Hector's dolphins

New Zealand scientists have proved for the first time that Marine Protected Areas are effective in protecting endangered animals.

Cook Islands authorities say giant fishing net could have posed a danger

A giant net the size of a rugby field found off the coast of the Cook Islands could have posed a danger to other vessels.

Plastic Pollution in the Ocean

A Pinterest board featuring images of plastic pollution in our oceans.

Why do seabirds eat plastic?

A sweeping look at 10 species of seabirds gives insight into why their numbers have plummeted over the past 60 years.

NZ seas worst in world for seabirds eating plastic

The seas around New Zealand are the riskiest in the world for seabirds eating plastic rubbish Forest & Bird has warned MPs, ahead of Plastic Free July.

Fertilizer runoff and septic system effluents enter estuaries and coastal waters leading to the growth of algae, fish kills and dead zones.

Silent invaders

Aquatic invasive species as a result of ballast water caused by ocean-going ships.

Spacecraft cemetery

Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean is the world’s spacecraft cemetery.

Debris free oceans

Open-access power point presentation on debris free oceans.

The cooking of coral reefs

Coral bleaching event attributed to warmer and more acidic oceans.

Ocean pollution

National Geographic documentary on plastic and garbage pollution in our oceans.

Disarming a WWII German mine

Royal Navy disarms a German 'murder' mine that washed up on Britain's east coast during World War II.

Fish losing sense of smell

Fish are losing their sense of smell due to an increase of carbon dioxide in ocean waters.

Acts and treaties

Ocean and marine life protection acts and treaties.

Dead zones in the oceans

Ocean expert Nancy Rabalais on the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico.

How does mercury get Into fish?

Human activity leading to mercury in fish.

What is the law of the sea?

The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Beach trash to ocean art

A project to show how much garbage is coming up on the beaches.

London Dumping Convention

Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter.

Nuclear waste dump leaking radioactive material into the ocean

Nuclear waste dump on Punit island is leaking into the Pacific Ocean.

Weapons of war litter the ocean floor

Tonnes of chemical weapons were dumped in the oceans between 1919 and 1980.

Impacts of ocean pollution on marine life

Infographic on ocean pollution and its impact on marine life and humanity.

Impact of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the clean-up methods.

Sources of oil spills in Northland, New Zealand, why we need to care and what can be done about it.

Ocean acidification

A cartoon crash course on ocean acidification.

Discusses cleaning up and the technology used to clean up the ocean, including the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Ocean acidification

Ocean acidification or “climate change’s equally evil twin.”

Gulf of Maine removal project

Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGI) removes inactive fishing gear from Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine.

Biggest source ocean pollution

Most ocean pollution begins on land.

Impacts of noise on marine mammals

Noise from shipping, mining and naval sonar training drowns ocean’s natural sounds.

World Ocean Day

All you need to know about World Ocean Day celebrated internationally on 8 June.

Caring about the ocean

Ten things you can do to save the ocean.

Ocean Pollution: The Dirty Facts

We’re drowning marine ecosystems in trash, noise, oil, and carbon emissions.

Great Pacific garbage patch

A pile of trash in the Pacific Ocean is three times the size of France and growing…

A Plastic ocean

A pdf guide for film A Plastic Ocean. Kids learn about and create solutions to the plastic problem.

Bromhead, Peter, 1933- :The South Pacific. 1 June 1981.

Radioactive poison in the Pacific

A Pacific man despairs as he looks at the container of radioactive poison that he has received from France. This radioactive material is the result of testing nuclear weapons by the French on Murur...

A fishy tale from the Gulf of Mexico - "It's either a solar eclipse or we're swimming in a giant oil spill." 3 May 2010

A fishy tale from the Gulf of Mexico

These fish in the Gulf of Mexico wonder if the darkness that surrounds them is due to a solar eclipse or worse, a giant oil spill. In fact, it was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010,...

Scientific Research. "The average whale has 20-30 kg of plastic in its guts - so we could argue that we're recycling AND cleaning up the oceans"

Recycling and cleaning up the oceans

With so much plastic in our oceans, there have been endless reports of marine life dying after ingesting plastic they have mistaken for food. The men on board this Japanese ship argue that they ar...

THE SEWAGE OUTFALLS (Otago Daily Times 26-5-1908)

The sewage outfalls

Discharge of sewage into the sea contaminates seafood, spreads disease and harms marine life. Today sewage from domestic, commercial and industrial sources has to pass through sewage treatment faci...

Ekers, Paul, 1961-: Sewage leak closes beach again. 8 January 2010

Sewage leak closes beach again

A romantic walk has lost its appeal for this couple who look all geared up to protect themselves from the effects of a sewage leak detected at Owhiro Bay in Wellington. Sewage pollutes the ocean b...

Slane, Christopher, 1957- :[Rebranding]. 19 April 2013

Off-shore oil rigs

New Zealand Ministers for the Environment and Energy and Resources are rebranding this patch of environmental beauty, now with an oil rig added, as ‘development’. This refers to the interest by a g...

Is your wash day polluting the oceans?

Every time you wash your clothes, microfibres escape into the environment. And that, explains Dr Natalie Welden, is a huge threat to our oceans.

Toxins and food webs

The impact of toxins on marine food webs.

Human impacts on marine environments

It’s not only our activities in the marine environment that affect life in the sea – it’s also the things we do on land.

Young Ocean Explorers

Our vision is to create generational change by connecting hearts and minds with the importance of enjoying and caring for our oceans.