Marine pollution is a major threat to any organism living in or depending upon the ocean. Human impact on coastal and open ocean habitats comes in many forms: nutrient loading from agricultural runoff and sewage discharges, toxic chemical inputs from industry and agriculture, petroleum spills, and inert solid wastes. While there has been some recognition of the destruction of marine systems from pollution, regulations are often weak or are not enforced. Recent efforts have lead to slow recovery of some coastal areas, but many of the detrimental practices continue and some systems may never recover.

Nutrient loading is perhaps the most well-studied form of pollution, and its biological consequences have been observed and documented. Algal blooms, including red tides, have been attributed to elevated nutrient levels in coastal systems. These blooms, through their respiration and decomposition, can deplete the levels of dissolved oxygen in the waters...