I wanted to know if in fact there is damage done to the ecosystem by various boats, ships, etc. on the ecosystem. I was having a discussion w/ someone who said that there is minimal damage. That can not be true. Is there more damage done to the air vs. the water??:
:confused:

These ships use fuel. Oil tankers can leak a LOT of fuel. Boats and ships can injure and kill marine creatures like whales and manatees. And don't forget about all the humans on board just dumping their garbage overboard. Not to mention spilling gasoline when filling up...

Yes, there is ecological damage and I wouldn't consider it minor ...:down:

Don't forget about the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and others like it.

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/spotlight/spotlight.html

Yes I know about the oil tankers & will never forget how they seem to be spilling oil on a regular basis but you never hear about it. What about cruise ships or people who own yachts, what kind of damage is done w/ those??

Off the top of my head:

They use fuel which results in hydrocarbons and CO2 being released into the environment.
They cause heat polution - they run water through their engines to cool them down.
They cause wave and noise polution.
They collide with wildlife and wildlife gets caught in the roters.

You guys all list damage, but you don't put it in perspective.

In addition to methods of pollution (hydrocarbon spills, byproducts of combustion, sewage disposal, shipwrecks, anchor scars, etc), you need to find the amount of pollution. To be fair, you should also include the benefits to the ecosystem (yes, there are probably a few) and the amount of pollution per each unit of cargo moved.