Marine Debris

Marine debris (marine litter) is solid, persistent, human-made waste in the ocean, dominated by plastics. An estimated several million tonnes enter the sea each year, much from land via rivers, accumulating in the subtropical gyres, on beaches, and on the seabed. It entangles and is eaten by wildlife, transports invasive species, and fragments into microplastics. The London Convention, MARPOL Annex V, and the GPML coordinate the response.