Marine debris is a deadly problem for wildlife all around the world. An estimated 6.4 million tons of marine debris pollutes our oceans and coastlines, and more than 1 million birds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year due to entanglement or ingestion of marine debris.

On the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge — which is situated near the northwestern end of the Hawaiian Islands archipelago — discarded nets, styrofoam, plastics, and other types of trash wash up on the beaches in quantities of over 100 pounds a week, threatening endangered Hawaiian monk seals and growing albatross chicks. Lighters and discarded plastics are often mistakenly consumed by adult albatrosses and then regurgitated to their chicks, leading to death. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service states that plastics can comprise up to 50% of the indigestible material in an albatross’ intestinal tract. To understand the scope of the pollution, in a two-and-a-half month period, volunteers at Midway collected over 1000 disposable lighters while cleaning up the refuge — a testament to how much useless junk is being discarded into the environment.

The problem of marine pollution is a special concern to the staff and volunteers of the National Wildlife Refuge System because the Refuge System includes about 30,000 coastal miles, 20 million coastal acres, 7 million ocean acres with 3 million acres in coral reef ecosystems, and 300,000 Congressionally-designated marine wilderness acres in 34 refuges. Additionally, the Refuge System is a co-trustee of the largest marine protected area in the world, the 88-million-acre Hawaiian Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

At the beginning of November, the Bush administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Interior announced a new marine debris initiative designed to educate citizens about the dangers of marine pollution. Activities will include:

1. Increasing public education and awareness through the launch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Web Education Campaign; educational events at Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers, including interactive exhibits on regionally important priorities by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at Gulf of Mexico centers; an informative ocean kiosk at the Smithsonian; coordinated outreach events on Earth Day 2008; and additional Public Service Announcements.
2. Working with Regional and Local Partners to clean up marine debris, turn debris into energy, recover lost fishing gear, and recycle fishing lines. This includes:
   • a $200,000 grant provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the Dow Chemical Company, NOAA, and Fish and Wildlife Service for the Midway Atoll Marine Debris Coastal Monitoring Project,
   • expansion of the Nets-to-Energy project to the Atlantic coast, beginning in New England,
   • and nationwide expansion of the monofilament recycling program.
3. Leading the global effort by working with international organizations to prevent fishing gear from becoming lost, developing environmentally friendly fishing gear, and promoting the annual International Coastal Cleanup in 100 countries around the world.

If you’d like to learn more, be sure to visit the NOAA Marine Debris website for downloadable curriculum, activities, and educational information about what you can do to reduce marine debris in the environment, whether you’re a boater, beachgoer, angler, or just a concerned citizen.

Tags:
wildlife, wildlife refuge, conservation, marine debris, marine pollution, Midway Atoll