human efforts on saving the marine life

humans have taken lots of effort into saving the marine life, especially nowadays where the weather conditions are so terrible and so many pollutions from the human race.

In America, the Cigarette Butt Advisory Group (CBAG) has banned the act of smoking at beaches as it it really, really bad for the environment. The chemicals from just one filtered cigarette butt are strong enough to kill half the fish living in a one liter container of water, according to research conducted by Richard Grasberg, a San Diego State University public health researcher and member of CBAG. Marine animals will also have difficulty eating and digesting food once they have ingested particles from cigarettes. Since cigarette butts are the most frequently collected pieces of trash at beach cleanups — 340,221 were picked up in a single day in 2009 — they represent a major threat to marine life. In addition, cigarette filters are made of cellulose-acetate, which is non-biodegradable. They are considered as toxic wastes.
Not only will this law reduce the number of smokers due to the decreasing number of legal places to smoke, but it will also improve the condition of the environment at the beaches, and also save the marine life.

Not only in the area of land pollution, but pollution in the sea itself is a great problem.
Oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico began to wash ashore along the Gulf Coast this evening after BP asked the U.S. government for help cleaning up the mess and faint fingers of oily sheen could be seen lapping at the Louisiana shoreline.
Environmental impact: As the oil approached the coastline, biologists said it threatened as many as 400 species, including sea turtles and dolphins
Efforts to control the oil spills:
• BP asked the U.S. Department of Defense for advanced imaging technology and other equipment to locate oil spill areas so as to contain the spill
• 1,100 people are working on the cleanup effort, which so far has collected 685,000 gallons of oil and water from the polluted Gulf.
• The White House said 174,060 feet of flotation booms had been deployed to corral the floating oil. It said an additional 243,260 feet is available and 265,460 feet has been ordered. 76 tugs, barges and skimmers were on scene to help in containment and cleanup, along with six fixed-wing aircraft, 11 helicopters, 10 remotely operated vehicles, and two mobile offshore drilling units.
• BP is using chemical dispersants to break up the oil -- pumping them all the way down to the leaking wellhead to keep the crude oil from reaching the surface.
• Local fishermen are allowed to assist in the expected cleanup. Prison inmates are trained to help clean up wildlife harmed by oil slicks moving toward shore.

Australia has some of the world’s most intact marine areas. Its tropical waters include the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s iconic marine systems. In addition, its southern temperate waters are highly biodiverse, with many species restricted to those seas. Australian marine areas include productive and diverse areas in both tropical and temperate seas that remain relatively undisturbed.

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ marine work is aimed at preserving the biological integrity of marine ecosystems and primarily focuses on efforts to curb overfishing, reduce bycatch and prevent the destruction of marine habitat in Australia.
Pew’s advocacy efforts, conducted through marine conservation campaigns, seek to protect the nation’s fisheries and ocean wildlife, including marine mammals, both in the Australia and around the world.

Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization in Australia. Their mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the Australia oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of their delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations.

It is seen that Australia has a lot of efforts done in order to conserve marine life, not only in Australia, but also around the world. Efforts are mostly based on campaigns done by non-profit societies so as to educate the people there. There are many organizations available to address the marine debris problem, and cooperation is being sought from industries, fishers, non-governmental organizations, and Economy representatives. In fact, much is done to minimize the problem: outreach and education – not only by disseminating information, but seeking ways to regularize the exchange of scientific research and data, monitoring/data collection and research, engaging stakeholders – establishing net collection points, establishing gear repair, re-use and recycling centres among others, business and industry involvement – insurance companies, manufacturers, innovation and incentives for proper disposal, economic impacts, regulation, compliance, institution and infrastructure.