Marine debris is one of the most pervasive global threats to the health of the ocean and our waterways. It is an issue of growing local, regional, national, and international concern and solutions need to involve all of us, regardless if we live near the ocean or not. To learn more, watch the introductory video, Marine Debris: Introduction to Marine Debris in the Global Ocean.
Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste becomes marine debris. This narrated video, produced by the Florida State University in collaboration with NOAA, discusses the following topics:
What happens to plastic marine debris once it is in the world's ocean?
Where does plastic marine debris accumulate?
How can everyone help address this problem?
A team of scientists from the Florida State University used data about the types, amounts, and sources of plastic marine debris and combined these data with what is known about ocean currents, wind, and waves, to create the Global Marine Debris Model to visualize the movement of plastic debris in the ocean environment. The model shows the potential movement of marine debris throughout the ocean and areas of concentration such as gyres and hot spots.
Finally, ideas on how we all can help are presented. The video shows how nations across the globe are connected by the ocean, that marine debris is a global problem caused by people, and can also be solved by all of us playing a part. These efforts will require a coordinated global effort to solve this global problem.
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