The problem of marine pollution receives news coverage when an oil tanker spills in the sea, leaving huge pools of oil.  A few days after the spill, tar appears on the beaches, turning them black and polluting them. It sticks to animals and to seaweed, posing a health hazard to the entire ecological system in the sea. In the not very distant past, Israel’s beaches were full of tar, and bathers would come home with black feet. Today, washing oil tankers with seawater is prohibited, and so there is barely any tar now on Israeli beaches. Nevertheless, leaks from the tankers are still a common occurrence, and they cause severe environmental disasters.

Marine pollution in Israel is a harsh and common ecological problem, and due to the positions of the desalination facilities along the length of the sea, it also affects our drinking water. Polluting the sea also harms ecological diversity, tourism, and the livelihood of fishermen.

In the small display to the left is a garbage dump, which unfortunately is still common in many natural areas in Israel. Garbage that is not biodegradable, such as plastic, poses a strangulation and injury hazard to wild animals, in addition to releasing poisonous substances into the soil and the groundwater.