Marine debris comes from everyone and every source that makes
every kind of garbage. Tons of trash from both land – up to 80
percent — and ships constantly finds its way to the sea. Much of
this marine debris does not go away; it cannot dissolve and it
lasts in the oceans for many years. The most ubiquitous debris
is plastics of all kinds. Bottles, bags, containers, disposable
plastic lighters, toys, pens, plastic cups, utensils,
toothbrushes—more than you can name. In some places, plastic
bags make up half of all the marine debris. Add to this miles
and miles of discarded fishing line and nets. If marine debris
were only unsightly yet harmless, it wouldn’t be such an urgent
issue. But every hour of every day, marine debris kills sea
birds, whales, fish, dolphins, seals, turtles and manatees that
become entangled and often strangled, or mistake the debris for
food. Discarded fish nets can drift ghostlike for miles, snaring
and killing sea life along the way. People are also directly
affected. Tourists won’t w