But before the problem can be 

 solved, the public must consider marine 

 debris an important issue. And industry, 

 especially businesses that contribute 

 litter, must be convinced that reducing 

 and managing waste is economically 

 smart and civically responsible. 



The Third International Conference 

 on Marine Debris, organized by the Na- 

 tional Marine Fisheries Service during 

 May in Miami, Fla., took a wide-angle 

 look at these and other waste issues to 

 steer future efforts to restore polluted 

 waters worldwide. It brought together 

 scientists, resource managers, cleanup 

 organizers and water users to discuss the 



problem and possible solutions. 



Below are some of the insights 

 gleaned from conference presentations 

 and discussions. 



Amounts, Types and 

 Distribution of Marine Debris 



Marine debris darkens all of the 

 world's oceans, but the problem hardly 

 starts there. Close to 80 percent is 

 washed, blown or dumped from shore. In 

 the entire marine debris debate, no other 

 point is so straightforward. 



The types of debris that float in 

 world oceans are as varied as the cultures 

 that generate them. Ships, winds and 



ocean currents carry debris in aquatic 

 traffic patterns specific to each region of 

 the globe. Waterborne trash off the Gulf 

 of Mexico, for instance, will travel at 

 different speeds and directions than it 

 would off the coast of Australia or the 

 Mediterranean. Consequently, worldwide 

 responses to marine debris are as diverse 

 as the languages that give them voice. 



In the United Kingdom, sewage- 

 related items have repeatedly washed up 

 on beaches, prompting lawsuits and legis- 

 lation to control them. China and Africa 

 need more and better port reception fa- 

 cilities to dispose of shipping wastes. 

 Likewise in the Caribbean, communities 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 3 



