Florida State has 42 aquatic preserves along the Florida coastline. Florida is a state with many industrial activities as it is rapidly growing, which causes a threat to the dams, aquatic preserves, and the ocean. The Florida beach is one of the tourist attraction sites in Florida where people hold picnics, relax, and enjoy the scenic beauty of the sea. Research conducted among 126 beaches shows that the Florida coastline was on the list of pollution and caused a threat to the citizens and swimmers in the ocean (Schnurr et al., 2018). Plastic pollution was one of the major pollutants discovered in the research.
Plastic bags and containers do not decompose and hence float on ocean water, which interferes with the beauty of the ocean. The researchers claimed that plastic pollution was caused by the tourists and citizens who live along the coastline and dumping from the industries. In addition, the industries located near the coastline also contribute to pollution as they dump their waste in the ocean (Brei et al., 2020). One more cause of pollution in the sea is the dumping of wastewater from industries into the ocean to reduce foul smells when dumping in the sewages.
Unfortunately, the sewage waters and plastic pollution pose a threat to marine animals. It also threatens human life as swimmers cannot swim in polluted water. Also, tourist is discouraged from visiting the areas due to pollution as it can lead to diseases such as cholera and typhoid. In addition, when marine animals feed on the toxins, the ingested toxins can cause long-term effects on human health when they feed on the marine animals. Mercury is one of the toxins in sea animals due to water pollution (Beiras, 2018). It is a toxin that causes nerve and brain damage in humans. The disposal of chemicals and waste waters causes the death of marine animals. Some health conditions that could arise from ingesting toxins from aquatic wildlife include congenital disabilities and cancer. In other words, ocean pollution directly affects ocean wildlife and human beings.
The environmental protection department in Florida has prioritized the conservation of its waters, including the ocean (Brei et al., 2020). In 1970, Florida enacted the Pollution Discharge and Control Act (PDCA) to support the preservation of the waters and prevent pollution. In 1983, the state also passed the Water Quality Assurance Act (WQAA) which supported the clean water act to keep Florida waters clean and free from pollution. The Department of environmental protection in Florida has implemented laws that protect Florida waters to ensure that the citizens use quality and clean water that is not polluted (da Costa et al., 2020). The states also support water projects such as wastewater and stormwater projects.
Florida’s legislation prohibits the discharge of hazards in coastal waters, one of the state’s most violated laws. This is evident as the industries discharge their wastewater into the ocean as they attempt to save on wastewater projects that could protect both humans and wildlife from pollution threats (Brei et al., 2020). In case of any unauthorized discharge of pollution from the industries, the Department of environmental protection takes a private cause of action for the damages caused. Florida’s Water Quality Assurance act (WQAA) includes any pollution through spilling, leaking, dumping, releasing, and emptying any hazardous substances that affect the state’s waters.
According to Schnurr et al. (2018), plastic pollution, sewage, and waste disposal in the ocean are considered the primary cause of pollution in Florida. The reason is that Florida state is growing; hence the development of industries causes a problem in managing wastewater, getting adequate space, and waste management (Beiras, 2018). When waste and sewage disposal occur in the oceans, it prevents the absorption of enough oxygen in the water bodies, which leads to the suffocation of marine animals. Most people living near the water bodies feed on sea animals which now becomes a problem as the animals die due to suffocation. When the ocean is polluted, the sea animals become the victims. The marine animals also feed on the plastic dumped into the sea, which blocks digestion, leading to death. Some animals prone to feeding on plastic include dolphins, sharks, whales, and penguins. Tourists visit Florida to see such animals; hence their death reduces the number of visitors or tourists visiting the area.
The chemicals in the sewage waters contaminate the ocean water, making it difficult for tourists to enjoy swimming. The chemicals cause a foul smell in the ocean water, which harms human health (Beiras, 2018). Also, getting into conduct with the contaminated water may lead to skin rushes due to the chemicals found in the water. Since the ocean is the home of the sea animals, polluting it causes a disturbance of their environment which may lead to migration of the animals to other clean areas free from pollution, causing a deficit of food for Florida citizens. In conclusion, any ocean pollutant causes a threat to sea animals, which also directly affects humans.
References
Beiras, R. (2018). Marine pollution. Sources, fate, and effects of pollutants in coastal ecosystems, 10(3), 230-289.
Brei, M., Pérez‐Barahona, A., & Strobl, E. (2020). Protecting species through legislation: The case of sea turtles. American journal of agricultural economics, 102(1), 300-328.
da Costa, J. P., Mouneyrac, C., Costa, M., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2020). The role of legislation, regulatory initiatives and guidelines on the control of plastic pollution. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 8, 104.
Schnurr, R. E., Alboiu, V., Chaudhary, M., Corbett, R. A., Quanz, M. E., Sankar, K., Srain, H. S., Thavarajah, V., Xanthos, D., & Walker, T. R. (2018). Reducing marine pollution from single-use plastics (SUPs): A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 137, 157-171.