Aquatic debris is one of the more wide-spread pollution problems threatening our coastal waters and other aquatic habitats.
Marine debris is trash floating on the ocean or washed up on beaches.
Thousands of marine animals are caught in and strangled by debris each year while coastal communities lose considerable income when littered beaches must be closed or cleaned up. The fishing industry spends thousands of dollars annually for the repair of vessels that are damaged by debris. These problems are compounded by the increasing number of people living near our coasts, which increases the amount of trash produced and entering the marine environment. We are also committed to further reducing pollution of these waters and aggressively limiting the effects of increasing coastal populations. EPA is currently involved in many control programs and activities in order to reach our marine debris-related goals and objectives.