Oil in S.D. waters
             There are many things that fall to blame for our beaches declining manifestation and saitation; one would be all the boats that harbor in our bays and ports. Boating is a popular recreational sport and a very relied-on way of transportation, so much so, that there are as many as 12 million boats operating in the U.S. (Blais). One single boat could do serious damage to our oceans, if there was an oil spill or simply if the engine is left on and idling. Oil from these boats affects the water significantly considering how common oil spills are. Cleaning up oil pollution should be atop priority to clean up San Diego because “one gallon of oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of water” (Blais). So two hundred and fifty thousand time the oil that is spilled is how much water is being damaged and living creature being affected. Almost 160 million gallons of fuel spill a year form boats so you can imagine the amount of water and the number of animals and fish that are affected by the oil (Blais, page 1). With so much oil spilling and oil being so harmful to water, it should be carefully watched over and monitored. However, some of the oil that is spilled is accidental when “25-35 percent of fuel is un-burned and enters the water through bilge water discharge” (Blais). One gallon may seem like a lot to spill from one boat, although to prevent this common problem we don’t necessarily have to take the boats out of the water. Something as simple as a bilge sock would work. A bilge sock is an attachment to be put onto the bilge of a boat where the most pollution comes form. It holds all the oil and harmful matter in it until the matter is thrown out at one of the available disposal sites, and jut one can last up to a whole boating season (Blais). Coast guards have offered free bilge socks in the past, and it was an entirely appropriate way to handle the fuel problem and should be continued.

Trash in San Diego Waters

             Oil is not the only thing that is hurting the fish and underwater animals.  Many people and companies use the ocean as a never-ending landfill, something that is illegal but apparently , not very uncommon.  States near the coastline tend to dump their trash and waste into the water even more so than landfills (Ocean Dumping). Some people may think this is a harmless way to be rid of their trash although many things found in trash can hurt animals for instance, the plastic can holders can kill a fish that tries to swim through the holes. Another example is Styrofoambecause it never disintegrates, nor do diapers or cellophane wrap making these things very harmful to all animals.  All these items are commonly used and discarded and many end up in the ocean. It is beginning to take a toll on everything living in the ocean and everyone who visits the ocean.  

Sea life Affected

           Marine animals and fish are obviously the ones who are most affected by the pollution and oil spillage. The ocean is not only where sea life lives, eats, and breeds but the polluted water is what they breathe, making the water pollution much like their own kind of air pollution, something that is dangerous and deadly.  It is hurting its inhabitans and it’s ruining our coean. Not only is the death and disease of the fish sad and wrong, it is something we need to worry about for our own economic purposes. Studies show that olluted water can cause “reduced respiration, feeding , and egg production” in fish (Ocean Dumping). It also makes them sickly which makes their flesh taste odd, and make sthem discolored. With recreational fishermen spending almost $540 million dollars on waltwater sport fishing, and also fish selling and buying being a large part of San diego’s economy, everyone has a reason to be concerned about this problem (Blais). Diseases such as liver tumors and fin rot can be found in almost 27% of the fish that swim in San Diego’s bays and marinas (Blais). Animals other than fish are also harmed including seals that rely on clean water to keep their fur clean and useful.  It is their main source of warmth and direct contact of oil to their skin stops them form being able to catch air bubbles under their fur and keep warm (Blais). Even if it is just a little bit of oil in the water, just enough to skim the surface, it is harmful. It reduces the light penetration into the water making the oxygen exchange in the water different, harming fishing and other gilled animals. The floating layer of oil can also damage the micro layer, the area where many animals, microbes and assorted plants use as a breeding ground (Blais). With the animals and the economy being affected in so many harmful ways everyone should be a little involved in saving the animals’ habitat from destruction created by oil and trash.

Think Locally, Act Globally
             San Diego should be treated with respect: the beaches, the animals, and the citizens, they should all be respected. By throwing trash or carelessly spilling oil into the ocean, we are disrespecting San Diego, and putting everyone in harm’s way. It affects everyone directly and indirectly. Bet I; the fish who are poisoned, the people who stop fishing in San Diego or the people of San Diego who suffer from economic decline when our tourist money reduces. Impeding all this pollution and preventing more pollution would not be a hard thing to do. It’s a matter of paying attention to what you do with your trash, how you handle your boat, and how you spread the word. Recycling plastics would be a good way to discontinue this problem, since plastic is a major problem in the ocean. Plastic should be recycled and that would be a small step in helping conserve our oceans and beaches. Even if you could care less about the animal’s safety and San Diego’s economy, think about yourself and every other citizen of San Diego who has to look at and swim in the rainbow glistening polluted water. It’s dangerous for us as people. Everyone is affected, so polluting our beaches and our ocean is in everyon’es worst interest. It will take a long time to un-do all the damage that has been caused by almost two decades of people carelessly trashing their hometown, but if everyone at least tries to do something about it, and makes everyone aware of the growing problem, San Diego’s beaches can once again be clean and safe.

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