Chapter VII — Impacts of Marine Debris 
particularly helpful input regarding Annex V. It is 
expected that points put forth in the U.S. report on 
port reception facilities will be reflected in the new 
manual. When a draft is completed and accepted by 
the Committee, it will be circulated for review by 
Committee members. 
Related Actions 
Marine Debris Survey Manual 
In 1986 a representative of the Marine Mammal 
Commission participated in the sixth session of the 
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s 
Working Committee on the Global Investigation of 
Pollution in the Marine Environment (GIPME). 
Among other activities, the Committee oversees 
development and testing of manuals related to moni- 
toring the levels of different marine contaminants. Its 
objectives in this regard are to encourage common 
pollution monitoring methodologies that allow com- 
parison of data collected independently in different 
ocean areas at different times on the levels and 
distribution of particular types of contaminants. 
During the Committee’s sixth session, the Com- 
mission’s representative reviewed new information on 
the effects of marine debris. Because marine debris 
had not been addressed in the Committee’s series of 
pollution monitoring manuals, it was suggested that a 
new manual be prepared to provide advice on method- 
ologies to monitor that contaminant. Among other 
points, it was noted that such a document would 
enhance efforts to collect data needed for evaluating 
the effectiveness of mitigation measures, such as those 
envisioned under Annex V. The Committee agreed 
and asked its Group of Experts on Methods, Stan- 
dards, and Intercalibration to consider the matter. 
To assist that group, the U.S. Marine Entangle- 
ment Research Program, at the recommendation of the 
Marine Mammal Commission, contracted for prepara- 
tion of a marine debris survey manual. Under the 
contract, a final draft report was provided to the 
Committee’s Group of Experts, the Marine Mammal 
Commission, and others for review late in 1990. In 
1992, the “Marine Debris Survey Manual” was 
published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
157 
Administration as part of its Technical Report series. 
The manual includes chapters on methodologies for 
shipboard sighting surveys of large floating debris, 
shipboard trawling surveys for small debris, beach 
surveys, and surveys of debris on the sea floor. 
The manual was very well done, and by letter of 
24 June 1992 the director of the Marine Entanglement 
Research Program forwarded the document to the 
National Science Foundation representative serving as 
chairman of the GIPME Working Committee. In the 
letter it was recommended that the manual be submit- 
ted as a U.S. contribution to the Intergovernmental 
Oceanographic Commission’s series of marine pollu- 
tion monitoring system reports. The letter also 
suggested that procedures in the manual be tested 
through an intercalibration exercise in the Wider 
Caribbean Area. 
On 1 July 1992 the Marine Mammal Commission 
also wrote to the National Science Foundation repre- 
sentative in support of the document’s submission. As 
planning had begun for the eighth session of the 
GIPME Working Committee in 1993 in the Caribbean 
region, the Commission also recommended that 
matters pertaining to the manual be placed on the 
agenda for the Committee’s next meeting and that the 
primary author of the manual be included on the U.S. 
delegation to that meeting to help address related 
matters that might arise. 
On 8 July 1992 the National Science Foundation 
representative, acting as chairman of the GIPME 
Working Committee, forwarded the Marine Debris 
Survey Manual to the Intergovernmental Oceano- 
graphic Commission’s senior assistant secretary for 
the marine pollution research and monitoring unit. 
Noting that the draft manual had been reviewed and 
endorsed by the Committee’s Group of Experts at its 
meeting in 1990, the chairman recommended that the 
document be added to the Intergovernmental Oceano- 
graphic Commission’s series of manuals and distribut- 
ed internationally to appropriate research organiza- 
tions, government agencies, etc. 
As of the end of 1992 it was the Marine Mammal 
Commission’s understanding that the topic of marine 
debris would be added to the agenda of the Working 
Committee’s eighth session; advice on conducting an 
