New report on plastic debris in the CA. marine ecosystem released
Dan Bacher
Indy Bay
10/08/2011
The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has unveiled a new report entitled, “Plastic Debris in the California Marine Ecosystem: A Summary of Current Research, Solution Efforts and Data Gaps.”
"The OPC has identified marine debris as a critical issue for California’s ocean resources. In 2007, the OPC passed a resolution aimed at reducing ocean and coastal debris and its impacts on ecosystems," said Dr. Amber Mace, Executive Director, Ocean Protection Council. "That resolution identified the need to better understand the science of plastic marine debris in California."
"In response, the OPC commissioned a report to summarize the current state of research on the sources, abundance, pathways, and impacts of plastic debris in California, including a particular focus on the toxicology of plastics in seawater. The report is now complete and is available on the OPC website," said Mace.
The OPC tasked Ocean Science Trust (OST), a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering the best available science to state managers and policymakers, with coordinating the report. To help ensure the utmost scientific rigor, OST partnered with USC Sea Grant, a known leader on the topic of water quality, in the production of the report.
"The report is an objective informational document intended to inform those interested in gaining a greater understanding of the current scientific and technical knowledge about the issue of plastic marine debris in California," said Mace. By summarizing what is known and not known, this report is intended to help managers and policymakers determine the next steps in addressing this important issue."
Marine debris is defined as any persistent manmade object discarded, disposed of, or abandoned into the coastal or marine environment. In California, marine debris has been detected for decades on shore, floating on the surface or in the water column, and on the seafloor. A significant portion of marine debris, up to 80% in some places, is plastic.
