What is Marine Debris?

 
 

Marine Debris is any trash that ends up in the ocean.

 
 

Marine debris is any human-made trash that is thrown out and discarded in the ocean.
Even though debris is produced in one country, they can arrive to many other countries traveling across the ocean. Every year, it is estimated that over a billion pounds of debris are thrown into the ocean.
Typical types of marine debris are plastics, glass, cloth, derelict fishing gear, metals, rubber, and vessels. These greatly pollute the ocean and threaten the life of many marine communities.
Debris that is washed to shore also takes away the beauty from beaches and damage habitat on land.


 
 

What kind of trash become Marine Debris?

  All the trash that doesn't belong to the ocean becomes Marine Debris.
Some Marine Debris, like food waste or paper, are able to degrade (break down chemically) and disappear within a short period of time.
Other debris, like glass bottles, tin cans, and fishing lines, take a very long time to break down and can take several hundred years to degrade.
Many plastic debris that are created using human-engineered materials like nylon, polyethylene, and polypropylene, take an especially long time and may not even degrade completely.
Without being able to degrade, they may stay in the ocean forever, unless they are removed by people or marine animals.
 
 
toothbrush buoy
propane gas tank refrigerator
plastic shoe sole plastic bottle
fluorescent light fishing net
bycicle tire lighter
detergent bottle buoy & plastic containers
plastic pallet net & ropes
paper container torch
helmet buoy
plastic pallet styrofoam
cosmetic container rubber material
ink cartridge styrofoam
   
 

 


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