Donate Now »
Be a hero for the ocean! Become an Ocean Partner.

• Who We Are
• Where We Work
• Issues
• Fish & Wildlife
• Take Action
• Support Us
• News Room

Marine Debris

More than an Eyesore

No doubt, trash in the ocean is an eyesore. No one seeks out a trash-strewn beach for recreation or spiritual renewal. And trash in the water is never a welcome sight for boaters and swimmers. But beyond mere aesthetics, the more serious fact is that marine debris kills.

Countless sea creatures eat things they shouldn't, things we dump in the water carelessly. Ingested trash can choke an animal or poison it with toxins. Many animals are unable to regurgitate such items. And, once eaten, indigestible trash gives animals a false sense of fullness. They stop eating and slowly starve to death.

Sea turtles, for instance, mistake plastic bags and balloons for jellyfish (a favorite food) and die when the plastic chokes them or clogs their digestive systems. Scientists recently found a sperm whale with 440 pounds of fishing gear in its stomach. Pygmy sperm whales and dolphins have also fallen victim to plastic bags and balloons that they mistake for squid. And seabirds aren't picky eaters they will eat plastic pellets, bottle caps, string, cigarette butts, and other small pieces of trash.

In addition, trash in the ocean poses the serious threat of entanglement. Curious seals poke their noses into plastic containers or six-pack rings and then get stuck, preventing them from eating or even breathing. Playful dolphins swirl around discarded fishing nets and rope, becoming entangled. When animals get caught in abandoned fishing nets, lines, and ropes floating in the water a phenomenon known as "ghost fishing" - they may drown immediately or drag the debris around until they weaken and die. Abandoned nets drifting underwater can also snag on corals, sponges, and sea fans, damaging and even dislodging them.

What Ocean Conservancy Is Doing to Help

Ocean Conservancy has been a leader in the battle against marine debris for decades. We have worked to get trash out of the ocean and off of the world's beaches, and helped pass legislation to prohibit dumping trash in the ocean. And we are starting a global sea change in human behavior by increasing awareness and understanding of the impacts of marine debris on ocean wildlife, and what can be done to help stop trash from reaching the ocean in the first place.

In 1987, when we were known as the Center for Environmental Education, we published the groundbreaking report "Plastics in the Ocean: More than a Litter Problem," which detailed the dangers of marine debris, and explained how plastic in the ocean kills wildlife. At the time, the US had not yet ratified an international treaty on marine pollution, which prohibited dumping of plastic at sea. Our report, along with data from the first International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), played a critical role in getting the US to ratify the treaty later that same year. The growing body of ICC data is key to Ocean Conservancy's successful policy efforts, including passage of the Marine Debris, Research, and Prevention Act of 2006.

With our partners, we have removed over 100 tons of derelict fishing gear from the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where those items severely threaten coral reefs and a wide range of species. From 19962005, the US government led efforts to remove over 492 metric tons of discarded or lost fishing gear from these remote Pacific beaches.

International Coastal Cleanup

Since 1986, the International Coastal Cleanup—the largest volunteer event of its kind— has removed millions of pounds of trash from shorelines, rivers, and lakes across the world. But it doesn't end there. Volunteers in more than 78 countries don’t merely collect this trash; they record what they find. Then Ocean Conservancy analyzes and publishes the data each year so that scientists, citizens, and policy makers can understand which items are the most prevalent in the ocean and where they come from. This knowledge is crucial in implementing regulations to reduce ocean debris.

Details of the trash collected during the cleanup—six million pounds in 2007 alone—illustrate the scope of the hazards ocean wildlife faces daily. Eight of the top ten items are made from plastic; the other two are glass bottles and aluminum cans. Volunteers in 2007 collected more than 30,000 six-pack holders and almost 600,000 bags, but that’s not all. Volunteers discovered 237 entangled animals in 2007. Discarded fishing line, perhaps the most dangerous debris item, accounted for 65 percent of entanglements. In fact, derelict fishing gear—which includes fishing line, nets, ropes, and lures, along with crab and lobster pots—was involved in 72 percent of all entanglements. On that single day in 2007, ICC volunteers picked up 7,409 traps of various types, 30,098 fishing nets, and 121,094 pieces of rope, each of which could have injured or killed sea animals. A single day of removing and cataloguing debris each September is just part of the solution. The ICC is becoming a year-round movement, encouraging people to change the behaviors that put trash in the ocean in the first place. For example, our wildlife team is educating sportfishermen in Florida about the importance of keeping old line out of the water, and providing recycling options. This program can be replicated for fishermen everywhere.

How You Can Help

Marine debris doesn't just fall from the sky, it falls from human hands. From urban trash to abandoned fishing gear, marine debris is one of the world's most pervasive marine pollution problems. We can all make a difference.

• Volunteer for the International Coastal Cleanup every year on the third Saturday in September.
• Join Ocean Conservancy's online community to learn more and stay up-to-date on ocean issues.
• Take your commitment year-round: don't litter, and pick up litter you see. Keep the ocean clean, and save the life of a marine mammal or bird.
• Use reusable cloth bags for groceries and shopping instead of disposable plastic bags (including mesh bags for produce).
• Use reusable beverage containers.
• Bring reusable or biodegradable food packaging to work or on day trips rather than using styrofoam or plastic containers.

© Copyright 2010 Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.

Visit www.oceanconservancy.org/contactus for regional office addresses and email information.

Printed on , © Copyright 2010 Ocean Conservancy
The Ocean Conservancy, International Coastal Cleanup and Ocean Action Network are registered trademarks of Ocean Conservancy.

1300 19th Street, NW,
8th Floor
Washington, DC 20036
800.519.1541
202.429.5609