copper in saltwater

[tonyjb29]

So the other night i was watching modern marvels and it was about copper, and how most ship hulls and anything people don't want to rust from contact with saltwater is made up mostly from copper. Mostly in the make up of exterior of ships to stop organism build up. So my question is does thus affect the oceans , like if I dropped a penny in my reef tank? Can someone explain this for me. Thanks

 

[WDLV]

I wouldn't drop a penny in your tank. But the ocean is so vast that the small amount of copper that is there in the form of a ship's hull or some brass components of a sunken vessel are miniscule.