Water Pollution The great oceans are dying. The effects of pollution are taking their toll on marine life. As the Earth’s waters are being attacked by natural and man-made contaminants, marine plants and animals are paying the high price. The definition of water pollution is the “contamination of water by foreign matter that deteriorates the quality of the water.” While this is a general meaning of the term, it is also accurate. The “foreign matter” referred to can exist in many forms; oil, garbage, and human wastes are only a portion of the total pollutants that enter the ocean each day. POINT SOURCES OF POLLUTION A point source of pollution is a source that can be eas