Compared to most land masses, islands are typically very small places for people to live. Take Staten Island for example. It is not that large at all yet the traffic and number of people that live or work there is really high. This can really cause troubles to the ecosystems in these areas, especially the water surrounding the island. Run off of rain water can carry tons of hazardous chemicals and waste into the delicate ocean. Many people think that because the ocean is so vast that there would be no way that we could pollute it. But now we have found out that we sure can. This pollution comes from all over the world and comes in many different forms; it is not all from island areas.

Many island areas struggle with the overpopulation. There is only so much space for highways and for people to work and live. Island officials must try and look ahead to the future to make sure that they come up with ways to improve on current problems. It is not only about fixing the problem but also about trying to deter them later on.