An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century - California Ocean ...

CHAPTER 18REDUCING MARINE DEBRISThe trash and other waste that drifts around the global ocean and washes up onthe nation’s shores pose a serious threat to fishery resources, wildlife, and habitat,as well as human health and safety. Marine debris is difficult to address because itcomes from a wide variety of sources, both on and off the shore. While marinedebris is a global problem requiring international cooperation, many of itsnegative impacts are experienced at the local level and require localinvolvement. Because of its role as the nation’s lead ocean agency,re-establishing a marine debris program within the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration would help address its broad rangeof issues, as would better coordination at all scales—international,national, state, and local. Greater commitment to public educationand outreach, partnerships with local governments, communities,and industry, and enhanced research, monitoring, and source identificationwill also help reduce marine debris.Assessing the Sources andConsequences of Marine DebrisMost trash has the potential to become marine debris; cigarettefilters, plastic bags, bottles, cans, and straws can all be foundscattered along beaches and in the oceans. Marine debris degradesslowly and is buoyant, often traveling for thousands of miles in oceancurrents. Approximately 80 percent of debris is washed off the land,blown by winds, or intentionally dumped from shore, while 20 percentcomes from vessels and offshore platforms. 1Shoreline and recreational activities were sources of the majority of debrisfound during the 2002 International Coastal Cleanup (Figure 18.1). 2 Litter associatedwith cigarette smoking was the second largest source. Ocean-based activities,including cruise ship operations, commercial fishing, recreational boating, commercialshipping, military vessel operations, and offshore oil drilling, were also a significantsource of debris. Cargo lost overboard from freighters poses another concern. Large containershave broken open and released their contents—including everything from sneakersto computer monitors—into the ocean.Another growing concern is that plastic materials, accumulating in the ocean overdecades, are breaking down into microscopic particles that are now washing up onbeaches, floating in coastal and ocean waters, and settling in sediment. A single one-litersoda bottle could break down into enough fragments to put one fragment on every mile of264 A N O CEAN B LUEPRINT FOR THE 21ST C ENTURY