• Question: How much oil is necessary to pollute the ocean?

    Asked by Dillon rodger to Ryan, Nadine, Matt, Emma, Daniel, Allanah on 11 Jun 2019.
    • Photo: Ryan Smith

      Ryan Smith answered on 11 Jun 2019:

      A single drop of oil is a form of pollution. The problem is when there is so much that it damages wildlife. Although oil is a problem in the oceans, it is nowhere near as bad as the single use plastics that are polluting the ocean as it severely hurts wildlife! It is a great thing to try and solve if you have good ideas to fix it.

    • Photo: Matt Keith

      Matt Keith answered on 11 Jun 2019:

      Like Ryan said, any oil in the ocean is pollution and likely to affect everything living close to where that oil is. Of course, the more oil which is dropped into the ocean, the bigger area it will cover and the more wildlife will be affected by it.

    • Photo: Nadine Priestman

      Nadine Priestman answered on 11 Jun 2019:

      Great question! One quart of oil can contaminate up to a quarter of a million gallons of drinking water or cause an oil slick of 2 acres in size.
      So a quart of oil is all that is needed to pollute the ocean.

    • Photo: Daniel Wye

      Daniel Wye answered on 11 Jun 2019:

      As Ryan said, even a single drop of oil would be a pollutant in the ocean. Pollution is increasingly becoming a problem in our oceans, with areas such as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia dying out. I think the world as a whole is a lot more aware nowadays of the impact we have on things like the ocean and there are strong movements to reduce, recycle and reuse to avoid pollutants entering the ocean.

    • Photo: Allanah Green

      Allanah Green answered on 11 Jun 2019:

      I totally agree with everyones answers! Pollution is an ever increasing issue and harms and damages habitats and wildlife. Its upsetting seeing the amount of pollution and damage that had been caused in the ocean especially to coral reef.

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