Investigating Marine
Debris
By Sandy Webb, Inspired by the
2005 NWHI Educators Voyage
Mahalo for the photo images!
• Jim Watt
• David Littschwager and Susan
Middleton
• The many photographers who
posted their work on the internetimages found through the Google
search engine
What killed this young albatross?
Many researchers have found
that…
• Seabirds all over the world eat
plastic that floats on the sea
• Researchers believe the birds
confuse the plastic with their
normal prey
• Plastic is passed from parent to
chick as parents regurgitate what
they eat to their young
Where’s this beach?
What’s their “catch”?
Where was this marine debris collected?
Where is this beach?
The last 3 photos were taken in
the Northwest Hawaiian Islands!
Kure Island is over 1000 miles from Kauai!
Even in the most remote places
on earth…
• Marine debris piles up
• The Northwest Hawaiian Islands are
part of the most isolated island
chain in the world but…
• Ocean currents can carry debris for
thousands of miles and…
• Plastic debris can last for decades!
Where do you think the marine
debris that hits the Northwest
Hawaiian Islands comes from?
The next three slides will
provide clues!
What is Marine Debris?
• Floating garbage in the sea
• Litter on the beach
• Man-made rubbish that
did not get put in a trash
can!
•PREVENTABLE!!!
Make some hypotheses!
What types of marine debris
most dangerous to sea life?
What are the top 5 most
common types of marine
debris?
How would you find the
answers? How would you
test your hypotheses?
Brainstorm methods for
collecting marine debris
data
One method for collecting
data is to take photos
Entangling Debris
Another method is to keep
track of all the animals
found entangled in marine
debris
Scientists organize their data in tables
Some organizations keep
track of the types of
marine debris collected by
volunteers
The volunteers fill out data
sheets while they are
collecting rubbish
Most Common on Beaches
The Dirty Dozen
Another method is to
collect data on marine
debris found in a certain
area
Check out how much rubbish
was collected in the remote
Northwest Hawaiian Islands!
Over 300,000 kilograms –
that’s more than 360 tons!!
A new method to study marine
debris - from the air - is being
developed by NOAA
• A special airplane is used
• It’s packed with sensors:
temperature, radar, a
variety of imagers, etc.
• The data is being used to
predict where marine
debris will accumulate
• Clean up efforts can
occur before the debris
hits the shore!
How would you investigate
the effect of plastic
marine debris on birds in a
remote location?
Work with your classmates and
teacher to develop a
procedure – now!
One study, by Blight and Burger
in 1997, used this procedure:
• They examined
seabirds caught and
killed in drift nets
found in the Eastern
Pacific Ocean
• They performed their
study for two
months and…
• Examined the
stomach contents of
the dead birds
What do you think Blight
and Burger discovered?
Make a prediction- now!
Here’s some of their data- what
can you conclude from it?
If you found out something this
important, what would you do
with your results?
• Hopefully you would share them!!
• First, they have to be summarized in
writing- clearly and thoroughly
• Next, they are submitted to scholarly
journals for scientific peer review
• Research is used by those that try to
protect habitats and the species found in
them
So what can YOU do about
marine debris?
• Design a marine debris investigation
of your own and share your results!
• Put your rubbish in trash cans!
• Recycle!
• Join the thousands of volunteers
that clean up beaches and off shore
waters every year!
Volunteers clean up marine debris on
Oahu every year!
What can you do in your
“backyard”?