ABSTRACT
Ocean disposal is a global issue. In tropical oceans, like anywhere in the world oceans, ocean disposal requires both regional and international attention. In some tropical countries, the ocean has always been used for waste disposal. Serious marine pollution can occur from improper utilization of the ocean for waste disposal. Industrial wastes include liquid and solid wastes. Historically, the liquid wastes dumped at sea have included acid-iron waste, fish-processing liquids, metal refinery wastes, and gas pipeline flushing wastes. Sewage sludge is an anaerobic waste product from treatment of municipal wastewater. Deep-ocean sewage outfall is another form of waste disposal. The fate of a waste in the ocean results from the integration of various oceanic processes occurring both in the water column and in the sediments. Waste materials may be degraded by microorganisms, and, thus, their physical and chemical characteristics are changed.
