Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment: Recommendations for Monitoring Debris Trends in the Marine Environment

Abstract

Marine debris is defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) as any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine environment or the Great Lakes (33 USC 1951 et seq. as amended by Title VI of Public Law 112-213). Marine debris has become one of the most recognized pollution problems in the world’s oceans and waterways today. In recent years, research efforts have significantly increased knowledge of the topic of marine debris. However, the field as a whole has not adopted standardized monitoring procedures or debris item categories. Standard methodology and reporting is necessary in order to compare marine debris source, abundance, distribution, movement, and impact data on regional, national, and global scales. The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) has developed standardized, statistically valid methodologies for conducting rapid assessments of the debris material type and quantity present in a monitored location. The monitoring guidelines in this document focus on abundance, types, and concentration rather than analyzing by potential source, as in many cases it is very difficult to connect a debris item to a specific debris-generating activity. These techniques are intended to be widely applicable to enable comparisons across regional and global scales. This document includes guidelines for estimating debris concentrations on shorelines, in surface waters, during visual surveys at sea, and in the benthos. Background information is provided for each environmental compartment (i.e., shorelines, surface waters, and the seafloor), in addition to guidelines for survey design, required equipment, the survey techniques, and study implementation considerations. The appendices include a brief literature review for each compartment, survey data sheets, a debris item photo guide, frequently asked questions for shoreline surveys, and a summary of work completed by Versar, Inc. to test the methodologies. The techniques described in this document were developed over the course of a number of years, based on a review of the literature, discussions with experts, and field testing by the MDP and contractors. For shoreline monitoring, the MDP benefited from feedback from partner organizations who implemented these methods prior to the official publication of these guidelines. The guidelines in this document are intended for use by managers, researchers, citizen scientists, and other groups conducting marine debris survey and assessment activities, especially those requiring a rapid assessment. Monitoring and assessment of marine debris is essential to understanding the problem and being able to mitigate, prioritize, and prevent the most severe impacts. The effort to develop this document was rooted in the need to standardize methodologies and facilitate comparisons across time, space, and environmental compartments. These guidelines are provided to the marine debris community at large in order to guide the development of integrated monitoring programs nationwide.