Talking Trash

The Problem With Marine Debris

Marine Debris: What is it?

Any unnatural items that makes it way into our ocean or marine environment

Directly (i.e. dumping)

Indirectly (i.e. street litter washing out to sea

30-40% of debris originates from

ships at sea

Over 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are believed to be floating on every

square mile of ocean

Estimated that 5 million items of marine litter are thrown overboard

or lost from ships everyday

Types of Marine Debris Plastics

The Movement of Marine Debris

Problems with Marine Debris

Wildlife Entanglement

Entanglement/Injury

Ingestion/Starvation

Both can lead to death

Affects seals, whales, turtles, fish, seabirds

Destruction of Marine HabitatBreakage and smothering of coral

reefsDivers can remove nets…

but the reef is already damaged…

Transportation of Non-Indigenous Species

Diadumene lineata: an invasive intertidal anemone

Navigational Hazards that may cause Vessel Damage

Large accumulations of derelict fishing gear can:

Damage a vesselEntangle the propellor

Result in a safety risk for those onboard

Result in a navigational hazard

propellor snare

Trawler tangles with

derelict net

Marine Debris Can be Toxic

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): a class of chemicals that can be released by ordinary garbageExtremely toxic, even at low concentrations

Accumulate in the fatty tissues of marine mammals

POPs have been shown to disrupt hormones that could result in cancer and birth defects

What’s

being done?

NOAA's Marine Debris Program

A national effort to

prevent,

identify,

remove,

reduce

marine debris

MISSION

Also

protect and conserveour nation’s natural

resources and coastal waterways from the

impact of marine debris

Promotes: research, monitoring, outreach, and reduction outcomes

NOAA’s marine debris program

2006: first ever comprehensive project to survey and remove marine debris in

the main Hawaiian Islands.

Aerial surveys of all main islands

ID’ed over 700 debris sites and approx. 129 tons of debris

Waiohinu-ka Lae Coastline, Big

Island42 tons in 9 miles

Kanapou Bay, Kaho’olawe

5 tons in ¼ mile

How you can help

Get involved in local clean-ups

Reduce the amount of waste you produce and recycle when you can

Don’t litter; find a trash can

Leave your favorite places cleaner than when you got there; bring a trash bag with you when you go

to the beach

Learn about the issue and help spread the

word!

For more info visit: http://marinedebris.noaa.gov