“business as usual” model of nitrogen input will result in an increase of 50% in the fluxes of
inorganic nitrogen to the Ocean by the year 2050.
Sea based sources of pollution are likely to be a growing issue as maritime shipping
increases and submarine hydrocarbon/mineral exploration and extraction continue to
expand. Furthermore market forces are driving exploration in ever more extreme
environments posing increased ricks of marine pollution as clearly demonstrated by the
2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
Marine debris threatens the integrity of marine food chains. Plastic materials and other
litter are widespread from the oceanic collection zones and gyres, through the glutinous
mass of micro-plastics that can now be trawled from some waters to the debris and pellets
often found in the gastrointestinal tract of sea and bird life.
The international mechanisms (e.g. Regional Seas Conventions, MARPOL) in place to address
these matters need implementation with renewed vigour incorporating the analysis of the
true costs and benefits of rectifying these concerns in the context of the natural blue capital.