What is ocean pollution? One of the world's biggest environmental problems is ocean pollution. Ocean trash or garbage has many factors causing it. And one factor that contributes much is solid debris coming from land-based activities such as littering on the beaches. If littering continues, ocean life will be greatly affected. It takes a very long time for a trash to break down when it's in the ocean. This will not only be dangerous to ocean life but will have a great impact on humans too.