"Ocean dumping" redirects here. For shipping of waste across international borders, see Environmental dumping.
Marine debris washed up on a beach at Sharm el-Naga, Egypt
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Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created solid material that has deliberately or accidentally been released in seas or the ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing aground, when it is known as beach litter or tidewrack. Deliberate disposal of wastes at sea is called ocean dumping. Naturally occurring debris, such as driftwood and drift seeds, are also present. With the increasing use of plastic, human influence has become an issue as many types of (petrochemical) plastics do not biodegrade quickly, as would natural or organic materials.[1] The largest single type of plastic pollution (~10%) and majority of large plastic in the oceans is discarded and lost nets from the fishing industry.[2] Waterborne plastic poses a serious threat to fish, seabirds, marine reptiles, and marine mammals, as well as to boats and coasts.[3]
Dumping, container spillages, litter washed into storm drains and waterways and wind-blown landfill waste all contribute to this problem. This increased water pollution has caused serious negative effects such as discarded fishing nets capturing animals, concentration of plastic debris in massive marine garbage patches, and increasing concentrations of contaminants in the food chain.
In efforts to prevent and mediate marine debris and pollutants, laws and policies have been adopted internationally, with the UN including reduced marine pollution in Sustainable Development Goal 14 "Life Below Water". Depending on relevance to the issues and various levels of contribution, some countries have introduced more specified protection policies. Moreover, some non-profits, NGOs, and government organizations are developing programs to collect and remove plastics from the ocean. However, in 2017 the UN estimated that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans if substantial measures are not taken.[4]
^Graham, Rachel (10 July 2019). "Euronews Living | Watch: Italy's answer to the problem with plastic". living.
^"Dumped fishing gear is biggest plastic polluter in ocean, finds report". The Guardian. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
^"Facts about marine debris". US NOAA. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
^"FEATURE: UN's mission to keep plastics out of oceans and marine life". UN News. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
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coastlines around the world to clean this debris. These materials are also called “marinedebris” or "marine pollution" and their quantity has been increasing...
Fate of Microplastic MarineDebris at the University of Washington at Tacoma concluded that microplastics are a problem in the marine environment, based...
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in The Marine Pollution Bulletin found that the Brown fur seal colonies in Namibia are vulnerable to extensive entanglement in marinedebris as a result...
potentially, deep sea mining. The types of marine pollution can be grouped as pollution from marinedebris, plastic pollution, including microplastics...
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disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes". This debris can injure or even kill marine organisms; it can also interfere with...
zone. Marinedebris, also known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has ended up floating in a lake, sea, ocean, or waterway. Oceanic debris tends...
[its message] with an avalanche of falsehoods", citing its coverage of marinedebris, bycatch and sustainable fishing, as well as "blames the ocean conservation...
marinedebris though, and have taken steps to mitigate it. For example, from 2000 to 2006, NOAA and partners removed over 500 tons of marinedebris from...
dead zone. Marinedebris, which is also known as marine litter, describes human-created waste floating in a body of water. Oceanic debris tends to accumulate...
Pacific garbage patch is an area of ocean with increased levels of marinedebris and plastic particle pollution, within the ocean's pelagic zone. This...
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