What Is

Marine Debris? ROBSON G. SANTOS

The National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration defines

marine debris as any man­made

object discarded, disposed of or

abandoned that enters the coastal

or marine environment. It may enter

directly from a ship, or indirectly

when washed out to sea via rivers,

streams and storm drains. Unlike

earlier generations, today’s world

relies heavily on synthetic materials

– such as cigarette filters, food

wrappers, beverage bottles and

cans, grocery and trash bags and

fishing line, nets and gear – that are

durable and highly buoyant. Once

these items enter the ocean environment they can travel thousands of

miles on ocean currents, posing a

threat to ocean ecosystems and

wildlife. Consequently, marine

debris has become one of the most

pervasive pollution problems facing

the world’s oceans and waterways.

Where Does It

Come From?

While there are countless types of

marine debris, it all shares a common origin – people. In fact, people’s

mishandling of waste materials and

other items makes up the bulk of

the marine debris problem. Most

researchers traditionally classify

marine debris as coming from landor ocean/waterway­based sources.

A great deal of land­based marine

debris reaches the ocean when people carelessly discard trash while on

land. Debris is also blown into the

water or carried by creeks, rivers,

storm drains and sewers into the

ocean. People also generate debris

while at sea. Like land­based debris,

the majority of ocean/waterwaybased debris reaches the ocean

through people’s failure to properly

dispose of or stow their trash while

onboard their boats and vessels.

Boaters contribute to the debris

problem when they throw trash,

such as food wrappers, beverage

containers, plastic bags and fishing

gear, overboard. This discarded

waste can become debris with

damaging – and even deadly –

effects.

Impacts of

Marine Debris

Marine debris is more than an

eyesore: it also poses threats to

boaters and the oceans and

waterways that they enjoy.

Grocery and trash bags, fishing

line, nets and rope can wrap around

boat propellers and clog seawater

intakes, causing costly engine

damage and becoming a safety

hazard.

Debris is also a hazard to navigation. In 2005, collisions with

floating and submerged objects

caused 269 boating accidents,

resulting in 15 deaths, 116 injuries,

and $2.9 million in property

damage. 1

Discarded fishing line, nets, rope

and other debris can entangle,

maim and cause many wildlife

species to drown. Some debris, such

as cigarette filters, small plastic

pieces and grocery and trash bags,

looks like food to many animals.

Once ingested, these materials can

cause starvation and/or choking. To

date, entanglement and ingestion

has been reported in at least 267

animal species worldwide. 2

Abandoned nets, plastic tarps,

fishing gear and other debris can

smother and crush sensitive coral

reef and seagrass bed ecosystems

and their benthic (bottom­dwelling)

species.

1 U.S. Coast Guard, “Boating Statistics 2005,” (August 2006): 27. See also http://www.auxbdept.org/BOATING­STATS_05.pdf.
 

2 The Ocean Conservancy, “Solid Waste and Debris,” Good Mate Recreational Boating and Marine Manual (2001): 35.
 

N A T I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D A T M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R A T I O N
Working Toward Solutions

While important, simply removing

existing debris is not enough. The

marine debris pollution issue can

only truly be managed through

prevention – changing the behavior

that causes marine debris to enter

the environment.

The International Convention for

the Prevention of Pollution from

Ships (MARPOL) is an international

treaty designed to address the

problem of vessels dumping their

waste at sea. All ships, boats, platforms, marinas and docks must comply with Annex V of this law, which

prohibits the disposal of plastics

anywhere in the ocean and restricts

the disposal of most other types of

solid waste. For more information

on Annex V of MARPOL and how MARINE DEBRIS CAN ONLY TRULY BE MANAGED

it relates to boaters, visit the

NOAA resources guide online at BY CHANGING THE BEHAVIOR

www.marinedebris.noaa.gov.	 THAT CAUSES IT TO ENTER THE ENVIRONMENT.

What You Can Do

People who enjoy

boating and its related

activities can help

reduce the amount

of marine debris that

enters the oceans

by following these

guidelines:

Boaters

•	 Bring ALL of your trash back to

shore and collect any debris that

you find in or near the water

and dispose of it properly.

•	 Properly stow and secure all

trash on your boat so that it

won’t be blown or washed

overboard.

•	 Tell guests that no trash

should be thrown overboard

from your boat.

•	 Follow the marine debris regulations required by Annex V of

MARPOL. Remember that it is

illegal to dispose of any plastic

materials in all U.S. waters and

anywhere at sea.

•	 Reduce, reuse, recycle. Purchase

reusable products and containers

and recycle your plastic, metal,

glass and paper products –

including monofilament fishing

line.

•	 Report illegal dumping to your

local U.S. Coast Guard Sector

Office. Call (800) 424­8802 to

locate the Sector Office near

you.

•	 Encourage your docks, marinas,

fishing piers and boat ramps to

provide adequate trash cans

and recycling bins.

•	 Support environmentally

responsible marinas.

•	 Serve as an example to others

and encourage them to help

keep the oceans free of debris.

Marinas

•	 Set up and clearly label recycling

bins for staff and customers.

Call your local environmental or

resource management office to

find out what materials can be

recycled in your area.

•	 Encourage boaters to set up

an onboard system to segregate

trash for easy disposal and

recycling on shore.

•	 Keep trash cans, dumpsters and

recycling bins from overflowing

by emptying them regularly.

Make sure they are covered,

secured and can’t be opened by

strong winds or animals.

www.marinedebris.noaa.gov