Debris Tracking

Debris tracking is the modeling and observation of marine litter trajectories to predict landfall, locate accumulation zones, and direct cleanup. It pairs satellite, aerial, and drifter-buoy observation with Lagrangian particle models forced by surface currents, Stokes drift, and windage, the last varying with how much an item floats above the waterline. Tracking explains gyre accumulation such as the North Pacific garbage patch and supported the search after the 2011 Tohoku tsunami released an estimated 5 million tonnes of debris. Outputs guide ghost-gear recovery and beach-cleanup prioritization under MARPOL Annex V and regional litter action plans.