Oceans have become the final destination for municipal sewage and solid waste, chemical discharges from factories upstream, fertilizer run-off and other pollution from farms and oil spills.
However, the seas' capacity to absorb waste is not infinite and global actions to preserve the marine and coastal environment urgently need to be expanded and developed further.
Enclosed seas, and semi-enclosed seas such as the Mediterranean, are especially vulnerable to pollution and disturbance of the marine ecosystem through disposal of waste.