Floatable debris reduces the enjoyment of the Sound, can be a nuisance or hazard for boaters, and can harm wildlife. As a visual symbol of environmental degradation, floatable debris can also have serious economic consequences. During the summer of 1988, sensational headlines about floatable debris fueled public fears, causing a drop in beach attendance, a decline in business at seafood restaurants, and severe economic losses throughout the Northeast. While floatable debris in the open waters of Long Island Sound is less concentrated than in the neighboring New York-New Jersey Harbor estuary and in western Long Island Sound embayments, it is present in great enough quantities to mar the aesthetic enjoyment of the Sound. These slicks can wash ashore fouling beaches and the coastline.
Floatable debris is also a nuisance and hazard for boaters.
Floating lines can foul a boat's propellers, and sheets of plastic or plastic bags can block an engine's cooling water intake, resulting in the engine overheating. Collisions with larger, heavier floatable debris can cause hull or propeller damage to boats. Floatable debris can harm wildlife when it is ingested or when organisms become entangled in it. Ingestion can cause suffocation or starvation. Undigested plastic pellets can stay in the stomachs of wildlife, leaving no space for real food.