N AT I O N A L O C E A N I C A N D

AT M O S P H E R I C A D M I N I S T R AT I O N

What You Can Do 

People who enjoy boating 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.

• 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) 424­

8802 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 recycling bins for staff and

customers.

• Call your local Department of Environmental Protection to find out what

materials can be recycled in your area.

• Clearly label recycling bins and make sure

that they are accessible.

• 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.

www.marinedebris.noaa.gov 

How Recreational Boaters

and Marina Owners Can

Prevent Marine Debris 
RYAN BINNS, MARINE PHOTOBANK

What Is Marine Debris? 

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.

Where Does It Come From? 

All types of debris can be traced to one

source – people. In fact, people’s mishandling of waste materials and other items

makes up the bulk of the marine debris

problem. Researchers typically classify

marine debris as coming from land­ or

ocean/waterway­based sources.

Most land­based marine debris reaches

the ocean when people carelessly discard

trash while on land. 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.

Impacts of Marine Debris 

Marine debris 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.

Discarded fishing line, nets, rope and other

debris can entangle, maim and cause many

wildlife species to drown. Some debris, such

as cigarette filters and grocery and trash

bags, looks like food to many animals. Once

ingested, these materials can cause starvation

and/or choking.

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.

Working Toward Solutions 

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 it relates to

boaters, visit the NOAA resources guide

at www.marinedebris.noaa.gov or the

U.S. Coast Guard’s website at

www.uscg.mil.