Trash in our Oceans--You Can Be Part of the Solution
Marine debris, often called litter, has become a problem along
shorelines, coastal waters, estuaries, and oceans throughout the
world. It is defined as any man-made, solid material that enters
our waterways directly (e.g., by dumping) or indirectly (e.g.,
washed out to sea via rivers, streams, storm drains, etc.). Objects
ranging from detergent bottles, hazardous medical wastes, and
discarded fishing line all qualify as marine debris. In addition
to being unsightly, it poses a serious threat to everything with
which it comes into contact. Marine debris can be life-threatening
to marine organisms and humans and can wreak havoc on coastal
communities and the fishing industry.
Sources of Marine Debris
There are two different sources from which debris pollutes our
oceans. The first is from the land and includes users of the beach,
storm water-runoff, landfills, solid waste, rivers, and streams,
floating structures, ill maintained garbage bins and dumps and
litterbugs. Marine debris also comes from combined sewer overflows,
and storm drains. Typical debris from these sources includes medical
waste, street litter and sewage. Land-based sources cause 80%
of the marine debris found on our beaches and waters.
The second source of marine debris is from ocean sources, and
this type of debris includes galley waste and other trash from
ships, recreational boaters and fishermen and offshore oil and
gas exploration and production facilities.
Adding to this problem is the population influx along our nation's
shores. More people means more paved area and wastes generated
in coastal areas. These factors; combined with the growing demand
for manufactured and packaged goods, have led to an increase in
non-biodegradable solid wastes in our waterways.
The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health
Act (BEACH) of 2000
The BEACH Act was
enacted on October 10, 2000, and it is designed to reduce the
risk of disease to users of the Nation's coastal recreation waters.
The act authorizes the EPA to award program development and implementation
grants to eligible states, territories, tribes, and local governments
to support microbiological testing and monitoring of coastal recreational
waters, including the Great Lakes, that are adjacent to beaches
or similar points of access used by the public. BEACH Act grants
provide support for developing and implementing programs to notify
the public of the potential for exposure to disease-causing microorganisms
in coastal recreation waters. The act also authorizes EPA to provide
technical assistance to States and local governments for the assessment
and monitoring of floatable materials. In partially fulfilling
that obligation, EPA has compiled the most current information
to date on assessing and monitoring floatable materials in the
document Assessing and Monitoring Floatable Debris.
The International Coastal Cleanup
The Ocean Conservancy, formerly known as the Center for Marine
Conservation, established and maintains the annual International
Coastal Cleanup (ICC) with support from EPA and other
stakeholders. The first cleanup was in 1986 in Texas, and the
campaign currently involves all of the states and territories
of the United States and more than 100 countries around the world.
The ICC is the largest volunteer environmental data-gathering
effort and associated cleanup of coastal and underwater areas
in the world. It takes place every year on the third Saturday
in September. In 2001, over 140,000 people across the U.S. participated
in the ICCC. They removed about 3.6 million pounds of debris from
more than 7,700 miles of coasts, shorelines, and underwater sites.
National Marine Debris Monitoring Program
EPA along with other federal agencies helped to design the National
Marine Debris Monitoring Program (NMDMP), and EPA is supporting
The Ocean Conservancy's implementation of the study. NMDMP is
designed to gather scientifically valid marine debris data following
a rigorous statistical protocol. The NMDMP is designed to identify
trends in the amounts of marine debris affecting the U.S. coastline
and to determine the main sources of the debris. This scientific
study is conducted every 28 days by teams of volunteers at randomly
selected study sites along the U.S. coastline. The NMDMP requires,
at a maximum, that 180 monitoring sites located along the coast
of contiguous U.S. States and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and
the U.S. Virgin Islands be fully operational. The program began
in 1996 with the establishment of 40 monitoring sites ranging
from the Texas/Mexico border to Port Everglades, Florida and included
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date 163 study sites
have been designated and 128 sites are collecting data. The program
will run for a 5-year period once all of the study sites have
been established. For more information please visit: http://www.oceanconservancy.org/dynamic/learn/issues/debris/debris.htm.
Other Floatable Debris-Related Legislation
In response to a growing concern over floatable debris, governments
have taken actions nationally, as well as internationally, to
reduce discharges at their source. For example, intentional at-sea
dumping of garbage generated on land became subject to international
control in 1972 through the Convention
on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other
Matter ,
commonly called the London Convention. Similarly, at-sea disposal
of garbage generated during the routine operation of ships (e.g.,
garbage not deliberately carried to sea for the purpose of disposal)
was addressed through a 1978 Protocol to the 1973 International Convention
for the Prevention of Pollution by Ships (commonly called the
MARPOL Convention).
In the Shore Protection Act of 1989 provides
for controls on operations relating to the vessel transport of
certain solid wastes (municipal or commercial waste) so that those
wastes are not deposited in coastal waters. This act has provisions
that reduce wastes being deposited in coastal waters during the
transfer of waste from the waste source to the transport vessel
to the waste receiving station.
As amended by the Water Quality Act of 1987, the Clean Water
Act requires EPA to establish regulations that treat storm water
and combined sewer overflows (CSOs) as point source discharges
that must be regulated under the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). The permits
will prohibit non-storm water discharges into storm sewers while
leading to improved control techniques and best management practices.
Debris Hazardous for Marine Animals
Each year millions of seabirds, sea turtles, fish, and marine
mammals become entangled in marine debris or ingest plastics which
they have mistaken for food. As many as 30,000 northern fur seals
per year get caught in abandoned fishing nets and either drown
or suffocate. Whales mistake plastic bags for squid, and birds
may mistake plastic pellets for fish eggs. At other times, animals
accidentally eat the plastic while feeding on natural food. According
to recent estimates,
267 marine species have been reported entangled in or having
ingested marine debris (Marine Mammal Commission, 1998). The plastic
constricts the animals' movements, or kills the marine animals
through starvation, exhaustion, or infection from deep wounds
caused by tightening material. The animals may starve to death,
because the plastic clogs their intestines preventing them from
obtaining vital nutrients. Toxic substances present in plastics
can cause death or reproductive failure in the fish, shellfish,
and wildlife that use the habitat.
Polluted Waters Make Trouble for Humans, Too
Humans can also be directly affected by marine debris. Swimmers
and divers can become entangled in abandoned netting and fishing
lines like marine organisms. Beach users can be injured by stepping
on broken glass, cans, needles or other litter. Appearance of
debris, such as plastic, can also result in economic consequences.
Floating debris, either as a floating slick or as dispersed items,
is visually unappealing and can result in lost tourism revenues.
New Jersey now spends $1,500,000 annually to clean up its beaches,
and $40,000 to remove debris from the New York/New Jersey Harbor
(YOTO Discussion Papers, 1998).
Fishing Industries and Communities Hit Hard by Marine
Debris
Marine debris also acts as a navigational hazard to fishing and
recreational boats by entangling propellers and clogging cooling
water intake valves. Repairing boats damaged by marine debris
are both time consuming and expensive. Fixing a small dent in
a large, slow-moving vessel can take up to 2 days, costing the
shipping company $30,000-40,000 per day in lost carrying fees,
as well as up to $100,000 for the repair itself (Peter Wallace,
personal contact). According to Japanese estimates, the Japanese
fishing industry spent $4.1 billion (U.S.) on boat repairs in
1992 (YOTO Discussion Papers, 1998). Lost lobster traps cost New
England fishing communities $250 million in 1978. These traps
continue to catch lobsters and other marine organisms that are
never harvested and sold; the communities' economies are therefore
adversely affected.
Beach Raking
Mechanical beach raking, which is accomplished with a tractor
and is used to remove debris from the shoreline, can help to remove
floatable material from beaches and marine shorelines. However,
it can also be harmful to aquatic vegetation, nesting birds, sea
turtles, and other types of aquatic life. A study in Maine compared
a raked beach and an adjacent natural beach to determine the effects
of beach raking on vegetation. Beach raking not only prevents
the natural re-vegetation process, but it reduces the integrity
of the sand root mat just below the surface that is important
in slowing beach erosion. Other problems include disturbance of
vegetation if raking is conducted too, close to a dune. By removing
seaweed, beach erosion can also be caused. Sand compaction is
reduced when seaweed is removed, resulting in suspension of the
sand in the water during high tides and contributing to loss of
sand and erosion of the beach. Beach cleaning machines are harmful
to nest birds and can destroy potential nesting sites, crush plover
nests and chicks, and remove the plovers' natural wrack-line feeding
habitat. To reduce the effects on nesting birds, beach raking
should not be done during the nesting season.
Unseen Consequences
Once debris reaches coastal and ocean bottom, especially in areas
with little current, it may continue to cause environmental problems.
When plastic film and other debris settle on the bottom, it can
suffocate immobile plants and animals, producing areas essentially
devoid of life. In areas with some currents, such as coral reefs,
debris can wrap around living coral, smothering the animals and
breaking up their coraline structures.
Trash Indicator of Bigger Problems
The typical floatable debris from Combined Sewer Overflows includes
street litter, sewage (e.g., condoms, tampons, applicators), and
medical items (e.g., syringes), resin pellets, and other material
that might have washed into the storm drains or from land runoff.
These materials or objects can make it unsafe to walk on the beaches,
and pathogens or algae's blooms can make it unsafe to swim. Pollutants,
such as toxic substances, can make it unsafe to eat the fish caught
from the waters. Swimming in or ingesting waters which are contaminated
with pathogens can result in human health problems such as, sore
throat, gastroenteritis, meningitis or even encephalitis. Pathogens
can also contaminate shellfish beds.
What Needs to Be Done
Reducing marine debris means reducing the amount of waste generated
on land and disposing of it properly. Recycling can significantly
reduce the amounts of litter reaching marine and coastal waters.
Volunteer coastal cleanups and public education efforts can also
help reduce the amount of debris reaching our waterways.
What You Can Do
- Dispose of trash properly. This will help reduce the amount
of trash that is washed into our waterways from storm drains.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle. Visit the EPA's solid waste web site
for more information.
- Cut the rings of plastic six-pack holders. This lowers the
risk of entanglement to marine animals if the holders do make
it out to sea.
- Participate in local beach, river or stream clean ups.
- Practice good housekeeping.
- Look for alternative materials or avoid excessive packaging
when deciding on purchases.
- Educate others about marine debris.
- Get involved in your local area.
What the EPA and Other Partners Are Doing
- Providing resources to educate the public on the impact of
marine debris and guidance for how to eliminate it.
- Providing resources and technical support for the development
of studies to address the impact of marine debris.
- Providing guidance for the implementation of regulations addressing
marine debris.
- Organizing and sponsoring cleanup efforts, like the U.S. and
International Coastal Cleanups.
Whether directly or indirectly, many of our land-based activities
ultimately impact and adversely affect the oceans. At the heart
of the problem lie the great quantities of trash generated in
our daily lives. Reusing and recycling efforts have helped, but
a great deal more can be done. You can be part of the solution.
For more information on Marine Debris Abatement
For additional information contact:
Javier Velez-Arocho
U.S. EPA
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
Ocean and Coastal Protection Division
Mail Code 4504T
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20460
202/566-1257
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