Cleaning up Marine Debris on the West Coast

By: Nir Barnea, West Coast Regional Coordinator, NOAA Marine Debris Program

Styrofoam pieces found along Long Beach Peninsula in Washington State.
Photo courtesy of: Ellen Anderson

Marine debris—This persistent, global problem has received much attention lately. Over the past couple months, debris from the March 2011 tsunami that struck Japan has started to wash ashore on the West Coast. Items such as a fishing boat, an intact Harley Davidson motorcycle, a soccer ball, and a 66-foot dock have been identified and confirmed as tsunami related debris. These items were traced back to the devastating event, and in the case of the soccer ball, the owner, 16 year-old Misaki Murakami, was reunited with his personal memento given to him by his third grade classmates.

The challenge with all marine debris, including debris from the tsunami, is that it is difficult to trace it back to its origin with certainty. And marine debris, regardless of the source, poses environmental and safety risks and can impact commerce and recreation.

So, how is debris handled? It depends on two factors: Type and location.

Large pieces of marine debris that pose a hazard to navigation are handled by the Coast Guard. One large item, the dock that washed up in Oregon,  is being removed by the State. The U.S.  EPA, Coast Guard, the State or local responders remove hazardous debris found on the beach, such as oil or chemical drums. However, the vast majority of marine debris, small and inert items such as plastic bottles, different types of packaging, buoys and Styrofoam are cleaned up by volunteer groups.

Here’s a case in point—the southwestern Coast of Washington State has been impacted by thousands of pieces of small  debris—the most prevalent being Styrofoam. Volunteer groups like Grass Root Garbage Gang have tackled and removed the influx of tons of marine debris from the beaches along the Long Beach Peninsula. The group mobilized volunteers along miles of shoreline and has packed hundreds of garbage bags with debris. Washington State is also assisting by deploying Washington Conservation Corps teams in a cleanup effort, and in Oregon, the state has set up dozens of disposal stations along the coast.

It’s important to remember that marine debris is an everyday problem, and its impacts are far-reaching. And, it is thanks to these volunteers and the commitment of West Coast state agencies, NGOs, supporting industries, federal, local and Tribal governments that marine debris will be assessed and removed as much as possible.

Abandon Ship!

The HMS Bounty featured in Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest as the Edinburgh Trader at the Tall Ships Challenge in Savannah, GA.

By: Asma Mahdi, Outreach and Communications Specialist, NOAA Marine Debris Program

Last weekend at the Tall Ships Challenge in Savannah, GA, I had the opportunity to climb aboard the HMS Bounty, also known as the Edinburgh Trader from Disney’s famed, action-packed blockbuster series Pirates of the Caribbean. You may better remember it as the first ship from Dead Man’s Chest where Captain Davey Jones summoned the Kraken, the legendary sea giant, to destroy and sink the Edinburgh Trader, a merchant vessel Captained by Bellamy. Okay, I’ll admit to having watched every Pirates of the Caribbean installment and even having shamelessly stood in line on opening nights. Summon the Kraken!

The Tall Ships Challenge took place over four days at the Savannah Riverfront. Thousands of people had a chance to board fourteen sailing vessels from around the world, interact with crew members and experience, for a moment, life aboard ship.

While touring some of the historical ships, I realized that sometimes we forget that abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) are  marine debris. Coastal regions with active boating communities, like Florida, Washington and Georgia, are more likely to see this type of debris first hand. These vessels can threaten the marine environment by damaging sensitive marine habitats such as coral reefs and harming marine life. If they lie within a navigational path, abandoned vessels can also pose a threat to other ships.

Why are vessels abandoned in the first place? There are several reasons ranging from natural disasters such as hurricanes and tornadoes, which often plague the southeast, to a lack of upkeep and maintenance. In 2009, New York Times columnist David Streitfeld explained how the economy has left some boat owners with no choice other than to “abandon ship”—turning ports and marinas into default “dumping grounds.”

With increasing public concern, the MDP coordinated the first state-level workshop on ADVs to discuss challenges and successes in addressing this issue.  Federal agencies, states, and territories participated, including the host state of the Tall Ships Challenge, Georgia.

Abandoned ship on the coast of American Samoa.

The MDP continues to partner with other stakeholders on the strategic outputs from the workshop, with a particular focus on ADV legislation and the development, population, and maintenance of an ADV database—Georgia  is an important contributor to this specific discussion.

Being down in Savannah and seeing the tall ships reminded me that maritime culture is one to be celebrated, not one we should “abandon.”  Today’s abandoned vessels are not the result of encounters with mythical sea beasts, as was the fate of the Edinburgh Trader.  Abandoned vessels are a detrimental form of debris, and we must all work together to keep our seas free of all types of debris!