Upgrade your motor to a modern four-stroke model. Clean off the bottom of your boat when leaving a waterway — pests and unwanted organisms can travel between waterways on your boat, causing contamination to the next lake or river you visit.
Prevent Water Pollution While Boating Leave no trace — never leave behind litter in the water or on land while boating. If you see trash in the water or on shore, please pick it up and properly dispose of it once you dock. Litter can choke or trap fish and marine animals.
Never dispose of bio-solids in waterways. Bio-solids from humans contain organisms which ca make others ill, such as bacteria and parasites. Chemicals used to clean, protect, and run watercraft often leach into the water, severely impacting the environment and weakening or killing the wildlife.
On Humans Boating, like other motorsports, isn't utterly risk free. Boaters often face more dangers than land-based drivers, if only because there is less public education on boat safety. Boaters often operate their vessels without proper precautions, including sufficient floatation devices, restraints, or sobriety, which can lead to terrible accidents, injuries, and deaths.
However, humans should be even more concerned about the impacts of boats on natural environments. Many freshwater waterways used for recreational boating are also tapped for drinking water or used as spots for catching fish, shellfish, and other foods. Unfortunately, the toxins that endanger aquatic life are also threatening to humans; consuming contaminated water or seafood is likely to cause extensive health problems. In fact, merely swimming in heavily trafficked waterways has been known to impair health because some toxins, like tributyltin TBT in anti-fouling paints , can be absorbed through the skin or eyes.
Even humans aren't safe from the pollution caused by boats. Eco-Conscious Boating Tips This information may come as a surprise to many boaters who enjoy the hobby for its contact with natural environments.
Yet it is possible to continue boating without having such profound impacts on the water and wildlife. Newer makes and models of boats tend to be more fuel-efficient and less prone to leaks and degradation that endanger underwater ecosystems, so those boaters with poorly aging watercraft might consider donating their vessels and upgrading to more sustainable boats.
The following practices are essential:. Recreational boats also emit carbon dioxide into the air, but in much smaller quantities. In addition to oil, fuel, and carbon dioxide emissions, most watercraft also use cleaning solutions and chemicals that pollute the water. A boat is a big investment that most boat owners want to keep in pristine condition. This can involve the use of cleaning supplies and other chemicals. Oftentimes bottles that claim they are environmentally friendly to mean that they are better for the environment than their other products in their line.
Depending on how damaging the other products are, the environmentally friendly option might be better, but still bad for the environment. The best way to tell if your cleaning supplies are safe is to check the label and the ingredients listed. Most often, a soft sponge with plain freshwater can be effective in cleaning off your boat. Fiberglass does not often attract stubborn buildup. In addition to the chemicals used in boat maintenance, there are other potential impacts to be aware of.
This can require sanding, filling, and finishing with paints and other finishes. If possible, this work should be done when the boat is stored on land. That way, the dirt, dust, and chemicals will be generated and spilled on land surfaces.
These chemicals can then dry and not contaminate a water body, and the dirt and dust will mostly stay on developed land. It is best to collect dust and waste for disposal. Many marinas have systems to collect dust and bottom paint scrapings to minimize the release to the environment.
If repair work must be done on the water, care should be taken to reduce impacts to the water body. Drilling, cutting, and sanding fiberglass generates small particles of material that form plastic pollution. As most people know, micro-plastic pollution in the oceans is a major concern for wildlife and ecologic health.
What can be done? Although it is impossible to prevent some release of sanding dust, it can be limited—first, this type of work on a calm day. Use power sanders that collect the dust. Sweep up shavings and waste material regularly, especially if it is windy.
By following these practices, you can feel that you have done your best to reduce pollution impacts. It is common sense that if an animal is swimming through oil, gas, or other chemicals, it will be harmful to its health. However, these are not the only issues that are caused by these types of pollution. Ocean acidification can also cause an overgrowth of algae and seagrasses. Algae can be harmful to an ecosystem because it tends to block the sunlight normally streaming into the ocean or water body.
As with any ecosystem, even a few wildlife species can cause drastic changes in the entire system and all the species that inhabit it. Another major pollution of our oceans, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies comes from human garbage. Plastic can be very harmful to the creatures that live in the water and have been known to suffocate them.
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