1998 Year of the Ocean Perspectives on Marine Environmental Quality 



fractions of petroleum, or subtle, such as chronic effects on reproduction which become evident 

 as toxic chemicals concentrate through the food web of an ecosystem. Effects on human 

 populations are realized through economic losses, such as those associated with the loss of a 

 fishery or tourism. Particularly susceptible to injury from releases of oil are exposed shorelines, 

 shallow reef environments, estuaries, mangrove forests, and wetlands (U.S. EPA, 1993). 



Marine Debris/Litter 



Two hundred and sixty-seven species of marine organisms are known to ingest or become 

 entangled in marine debris that causes injury and sometimes death (MMC, 1995). Coastal 

 communities can lose millions of annual tourism dollars, experience declines in commercial and 

 recreational fish stocks, incur damages to vessels, and see declines in property values as a result 

 of marine debris. Annually, $1.5 million is spent by coastal communities in New Jersey to 

 remove debris from beaches and coastal waters in order to prevent a repetition of the 1987 and 

 1988 beach seasons when $2 billion in tourist revenue was lost as a result of debris washing 

 ashore. Lost or neglected fishing gear contributes to the depletion of commercial fisheries."'' And 

 while numbers for the United States are unavailable, Japan estimates that in 1992, the Japanese 

 fishing industry spent $4.1 billion dollars in boat repairs resulting from damage caused by marine 

 debris. Sources of marine debris include vessels and beachgoers, but recent studies show that 80 

 percent is likely to be from indirect sources such as street litter, improperly sealed waste 

 receptacles, landfills, and from combined sewer overflow events. Annex V of MARPOL, an 

 international treaty banning the dumping of plastics from ships and regulating other garbage 

 discharges, has been in place since 1988 and improvements are being made to reduce marine 

 debris from ships. 



Ecosystem Change 



U.S. coastal areas, land and water, support an extensive and unique set of ecological, 

 commercial, and recreational functions, and provide food, shelter, and nursery areas for birds, 

 marine invertebrates, fish, and other wildlife. Across the nation, estuaries contain 32,300 square 

 miles of wetlands, 21,900 square miles of shellfish waters, and 27,000 public recreation sites 

 (Baily, 1993). Despite their ecological importance, many of these productive areas have been 

 modified or lost to support residential, agricultural, industrial, and commercial growth. As 

 habitat is lost, wildlife systems are strained for sufficient area to maintain life-cycle processes. 



Habitat Alteration 



Since the 1700s, the 48 contiguous states have lost nearly half of their original wetlands 

 (Watzin and Gosselink, 1992). Twenty-five years ago, wetland losses were estimated at 460,000 

 acres each year. Today, wetland losses are estimated to be one-fourth of that rate or less (U.S. 

 EPA, 1997). Nonetheless, physical alteration or degradation of habitat continues to occur, with a 



24 For example, approximately 31,600 crab pots were lost in Bristol Bay, Alaska, between 1990 and 1991; it" each trap caught 

 and killed one legal-sized crab per year, the annual catch would be 205,400 pounds. 



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