Marine Litter

Marine litter: a global problem

Whether it’s on the roadside, at a park or on the beach, litter is everywhere, and it’s a huge problem. We are particularly concerned about how much of thisrubbish ends up in the sea where it’s a massive threat to wildlife and environment.
The ocean is our life support system--it provides much of the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat and climate we need tosurvive-yet trash continues to threaten its health
Marine litter currently poses a dire, vast and growing threat to the marine and coastal environment. Most marine litter consists of material thatdegrades slowly, if at all, so a continuous input of large quantities of these items results in a gradual build-up in the marine and coastal environment.
This negative trend has been confirmed by anumber of studies in various regions, clearly indicating that the situation with regard to marine litter is continuously getting worse.
Clearly, there are many sources and types of marine debris,but plastic is one of the worst. The very properties that make plastics useful (light weight and durable) are at the root of the problems it causes to marine life. Plastic disposed of in the ocean notonly lasts for a long time, but it also floats and can be moved by ocean for long distances to beaches and biologically productive coastal waters.

Every year millions of seabirds, sea turtles,fish and marine mammals become entangled in marine debris or ingest plastic that they have mistaken for food. The fact remains that, save those incinerated, every single molecule of synthetic plasticever created is still on this planet and probably will be for centuries
Marine litter is found in all the oceans of the world, not only in densely populated regions, but also in remote areas far fromobvious sources and human contact. Every year marine litter takes an enormous social and economic toll on people around the world. Education and public awareness campaigns are essential tools for...