Every year millions of people flock to the sandy beaches of Florida in hopes of surf, sun and fun. The things that one can do at the beach are almost unlimited: picnicking, touring the ocean on a motor boat, fishing, snorkeling, or just playing games on the beach. Amidst all the fun it is hard to think about the effects this has on the environment. Even the simplest picnic is problematic to the ecosystem; there is almost always litter left behind, either accidentally or purposely. With a high gust of wind a sandwich bag could fall into the water and pose a threat to wildlife. Eighty percent of all marine pollution comes from human activities on land. According to Scholastic Update, five major sources of ocean pollution are: runoff from land 44%, air pollution 33%, shipping 12%, dumping wastes 10%, offshore oil production 1%.
A prime example of this would be human impact on the loggerhead sea turtle which may mistake a sandwich bag for a jellyfish, one of their primary sources of food, and try to eat it. Upon ingestion, however, the turtle may choke and die. The mere presence of all the people found on the beach provides another problem for the turtle. In reproduction the sea turtle lays it's eggs deep in the sand of the beach, however with all the millions of people walking on the beach, a nest of eggs is likely to be destroyed either by a person walking by or an umbrella pole placed into the sand. Another threat to the sea turtle is the bright lights from lamp poles and buildings. When the new turtles hatch at night they mistake the bright lights for the moon and head away from the water towards the city. In this case death is inevitable; in order for the sea turtles to survive they must make it to the water before the gulls can have them for a meal.
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