Marine Debris
Marine Debris
Marine Debris Prevention Through Awareness Campaigns, Stewardship, and Youth Education
Public education about the sources of marine debris leads people to actively make behavioral changes and find solutions to the plastic problem. Eighty percent of the plastic in our oceans is swept from the land into rivers, streams, storm drains, or into the ocean directly. The other 20 percent comes from boats and ships.
"Prevention is the ultimate solution to marine debris. In order to tackle this pervasive problem, we must stop it at its source."
Single-Use and Micro Plastics
Every disposable toothbrush, takeout container, or plastic bag we use increases the amount of non-biodegradable material in the environment, eventually ending up in the food chain. Sunlight breaks plastic down into smaller and smaller pieces, but it never goes away. Mammals and marine life can mistake it for food and ingest it, but their bodies cannot get rid of it.
Beach Stewardship
Plastic pollution in the ocean is a very serious problem, affecting all marine and coastal life. Through our Community Clean-up Days and Adopt–a–Beach, you can help keep our beaches and ocean free of plastic and other pollutants.
Talking Trash 4 Clean Oceans
Youth are an important part of the solution. Talking Trash 4 Clean Oceans, originally funded by NOAA Marine Debris Program, enables us to work with high school interns. They learn about marine debris problems and then design and implement solutions that focus on reducing our community’s reliance on single-use plastics to reduce street trash.
Storm Drain Murals & Stenciling
Stormwater runoff is a major source of pollution to Salem Sound. Volunteers stencil messages on the pavement near storm drains to help remind others that everything that enters a storm drain finds its way to the ocean. This is an excellent service project.
