The marine ecosystem consists of seas, oceans and estuaries. Although it is very vast but it interacts with human life in various ways the oceans are used for navigation, fisheries, aquaculture, and acquisition of water, naval and military exercises. It is also used for discharge and dumping of variety of wastes.
The ocean reservoir is continuously subjected to sites of natural fluxes. Once material is delivered to the ocean, it is subjected to transport via marine circulation system. The very vastness of the ocean has led to the assumption that all wastes dumped into them can be harm less observed.
Pollutants derived to the oceans enter the circulation driven transport and biogeochemical driven removal processes, unless degraded are finely deposited in the sediment compartments of the ocean reservoir and tends to have the greatest impact in coastal and marginal seas.
Amongst the number of pollutant oil, sewage persistent organic compounds, trace metals and artificial radio-nuclides are considered to be most important. The ever increasing range and volume of polluting activities tend to seriously affect marine production. Marine pollution is most evident in coastal waters and estuarine areas.