History of Marine Debris

Defining Marine Debris Human-made items that are discarded both intentionally and unintentionally and eventually enter ocean Includes both biodegradable items (paper, wood, food, or metal) and non-biodegradable items (glass, plastic) 80% of marine debris are now plastic items Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Marine Debris History Marine debris has been in existence since humans started using and fabricating tools Early on, most marine debris items were biodegradable  Natural leather or cotton clothing  Hemp, linen, and tree-fiber ropes, nets, and fishing lines  Wooden and metal tools  Glass and metal containers Around 1940s-1950s non-biodegradable synthetic waste began to wash ashore Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Global Marine Debris The Ocean Conservancy has collected International Coastal Cleanup data for the past 27 years Top Ten Items found from RankDebris ItemNumber of Debris Items Percentage of Total Debris Items 1Cigarettes/ Filters52,907,75632% 2Food Wrappers/ Containers14,766,5339% 3Caps, Lids13,585,4258% 4Cups, Plates, Forks, Knives, Spoons10,112,0386% 5Beverage Bottles (Plastic)9,549,1566% 6Bags (Plastic)7,825,3195% 7Beverage Bottles (Glass)7,062,1994% 8Beverage Cans6,753,2604% 9Straws/ Stirrers6,263,4534% 10Rope3,251,9482% Top Ten Total Debris Items132,077,08780% Total Debris Items Worldwide166,144,420100% Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Alaska Trashy Trends: Marine Debris Removed o o 2.4 time increase in plastic debris along Amchitka Island o 1975 o 57% of trawl samples in Gulf of Alaska contained marine debris o 1980s-90s o Large amount of fishing gear found in Kachemak Bay o Early 1990s o Major removals of large debris like cars occurred annually along Alaskan beaches Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Alaska Trashy Trends: Marine Debris Removed o 2000s-present o Shift to more debris from shoreline recreational use, including plastics and personal use fishing gear o o 1,000 lbs/year removed from Kachemak Bay, on average o o 3,000 lbs/year removed from Kachemak Bay, on average Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Trashy Trends: Top Items in Alaska Clean Ups  Beverage cans/bottles  Car Parts  Rope  Buoys and Floats  Fast food containers  Caps and lids  Construction materials  Beverage cans/bottles 2005 – 2012  Foam Pieces (15,000)  Cigarettes/Cigarette Filters (12,800)  Beverage Cans/bottles (10,600)  Plastic Pieces (4,600)  Food Wrappers/Containers (4,300) Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Marine Debris Sources Land Based Activities and Personal Use  Daily use items by individuals – toothbrush, food wrapper  Household items – soap dispensers, dishes, appliances  Recreational Use Items – beverage bottles, food wrappers, sandals Marine Use: Industrial and Recreational  Buoys, Boat parts, Nets, Ropes, Strapping Bands, Gloves, Coolers Container Spills  Nurdles – small plastic pellets aka mermaid tears  Large shipments of plastic products Natural Disasters  Large scale: Tohoku Earthquake & Tsunami (Japan), Haiyan Typhoon (Philippines)  Small scale: Local Winter Storms Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Kachemak Bay Marine Debris by Source: Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Trends in Land Based Sources Comparison of Plastic Production and Plastic Recycling in the United States from Surfrider Foundation Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Trends in Container Spills An estimated 10,000 containers are lost annually In 2001, over 100 million shipping containers crossed the ocean Pacific Ocean Spills  1990 – Nike Shoes  1994 – Hockey Gear  1997 – LEGO Toys  2012 – Sport Memorabilia Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Shipping Source: Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation, with vessel traffic data from T Gilbert, World Meteorological Organization and National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

Friendly Floatees Spill in 1992 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies A container filled with the bath toys was lost overboard in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Tracking their landfall allowed oceanographers to model global currents. Photo by Jim Ingraham, NOAA Fisheries.

Trends in Marine Industrial Use Original fishing gear was biodegradable  Stone-tipped fishing spears and hooks, nets, line, and traps from tree fibers  Hemp and linen lines, metal barbed hooks, glass buoys Move to more durable gear (plastics)  Monofilament line, plastic fiber nets, plastic or foam buoys Trends reflected in derelict gear  Causes more issues with ghost fishing Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Recent Marine Gear Recovery Trends: Prince William Sound Statistics used with permission from Gulf of Alaska Keeper and Chris Pallister. Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Alaska Marine Debris: Before Recent Natural Disasters Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Predicted Tohoku Tsunami Debris Landfall Miller and Brennan, “Debris Accumulation Scenarios in Washington State from the March 2011 Tohoku Tsunami.” Washington Sea Grant. Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Much of the debris was predicted to make landfall along Alaska shorelines

Development Staff “A Plan for the Cleanup of Tsunami-Related Marine Debris off Alaska.” Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation Predicted Tsunami Debris Impact: Alaska Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Tsunami Debris Monitoring in Alaska Monitored by many organizations and agencies: Airborne Technology (through ADEC) NOAA Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation Shoreline currently surveyed by Airborne Technology, Inc. contracted by ADEC Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation Monitoring Sites NOAA Monitoring Sites Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Montague Island Located where Prince William Sound meets the Gulf of Alaska Acts as as a “catcher beach” as currents move debris along the Gulf of Alaska and into Prince William Sound

Montague Island: Before 2012 Pictures used with permission from Gulf of Alaska Keeper Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Montague Island: 2012 & After Pictures used with permission from Gulf of Alaska Keeper and Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Statistics used with permission from Gulf of Alaska Keeper and Chris Pallister. Permission required for use. Foam Collection Comparison: Two Islands in Prince William Sound (Near Montague) Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Gore Point Gore Point is another case study for trends in marine debris Located on the “Outer Coast” of the Kenai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Alaska curls in to form Cook Inlet Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Gore Point Beach: 2007 Picture used with permission from Gulf of Alaska Keeper Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Gore Point Beach: 2012 Picture used with permission from ADEC and ATI Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Clean Up: Black Sand Beach, Yakutat Picture used with permission from the Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Statistics used with permission from Gulf of Alaska Keeper and Chris Pallister. Permission required for use. Trends in Polystyrene Foam on Alaska Beaches Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Overall Trends Land Based Activities and Personal Use  Worldwide Account for more than 70% of marine debris by weight in past three decades  Kachemak Bay Moderate Increase Overall increase since 1980s-1990s Marine Use: Industrial and Recreational  Kachemak Bay Fairly Steady More observed in 1980s-1990s Container Spills  Worldwide Risk of container spills increases every year as more and more items are shipped long distances  Kachemak Bay Items from container spills, including fly swatters and Nerf basketballs have washed up Natural Disasters  Alaska Significant increase in marine debris on Alaskan beaches following 2011 Tsunami Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

What Can I Do? Land Based Activities and Personal Use  Reduce, reuse, recycle and dispose of plastics properly  Educate others  Pick up litter before it reaches the ocean Marine Use: Industrial and Recreational  “Batten down the hatches!” - Secure items at sea to prevent loss overboard  Participate in net, rope, and fishing line recycling programs  Be aware of where your seafood and marine products come from Container Spills  Minimize personal use of plastic products that are shipped across oceans Natural Disasters  Prepare for disasters to minimize effects (and associated debris)  Assist communities affected by disasters to rebuild and clean up  Ensure docks, boats, and coastal buildings can withstand rough weather All  Participate in marine debris clean-ups Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies