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1 1 (July 3, 2024)

handle is hein.crs/govepvc0001 and id is 1 raw text is: , Congressional Research Service n forming the legislative debate since 1914 Updated July 3, 2024 Marine Debris: NOAA's Role Researchers have found marine debris, especially plastic items, to have some effects on humans, wildlife, and the environment, but the extent of these impacts is currently unclear. Congress has directed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or the Secretary of Commerce (through NOAA) to lead federal government efforts to address marine debris and has enacted additional marine debris-related legislation in recent years. Members of Congress periodically consider directing NOAA and other federal agencies to take additional action to prevent and address marine debris, domestically and internationally. What Is Marine Debris? Congress has defined marine debris, also known as marine litter and anthropogenic debris, to include 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 U.S.C. §1956). Marine debris can be made of plastic, glass, metal, or wood. Plastic is the most abundant type of marine debris in shoreline and oceanic surveys. Plastic debris comes in a range of sizes and types, from tiny pieces (microplastics) to larger items, such as food wrappers, bottles, bags, foam materials, and fishing gear (macroplastics). NOAA identifies microplastics as plastic particles less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in size, including nanoplastics, which are less than 1 micrometer. Microplastics can be categorized as primary or secondary. Primary microplastics are manufactured as microbeads, capsules, fibers, nurdles, or pellets and are used in cosmetics, personal care products, industrial products, and synthetic textiles. Secondary microplastics form through the degradation and fragmentation of larger plastic items. Location of Marine Debris Marine debris has been recorded in numerous marine environments extending from the ocean surface to the sea floor, including shorelines (Figure 1), coral reefs, polar regions, and estuaries. Marine debris has also been found within oceanic garbage patches-areas of rotating ocean currents that can accumulate dense concentrations of marine debris. A dynamic combination of factors influences local accumulation, including marine debris size and density, proximity to human population centers, ocean currents, and wind. These factors also make it difficult to determine an item's provenance or establish an accurate estimate of the total mass of marine debris currently in or entering the marine environment. For example, NOAA's estimate of the total number of pieces of plastic on the U.S. shoreline in 2017 ranged from as few as 20 million pieces to as many as 1.9 billion pieces, a near 100-fold difference. FiFure I. Marine Debris on a Hawaiian Shoreline Source: NOAA Marine Debris Program. Sources of Marine Debris Marine debris originates from ocean- or land-based sources. However, determining the exact source of an item can be difficult. Ocean-based sources primarily include derelict fishing gear (e.g., nets, lines), abandoned and derelict vessels and structures, and equipment or waste released from at-sea vessels and structures. Some countries also may allow the disposal of municipal and industrial waste directly into the ocean, although the practice is prohibited or regulated in many developed countries. Mismanaged land-based waste has found pathways to marine environments as well. Mismanaged waste generally includes littering or inadequate disposal (i.e., disposal in an open dump or a poorly contained landfill). The United States and other developed countries have laws prohibiting such practices; however, some countries lack such laws or have low observance of the laws. Rain can wash litter and poorly managed wastes into storm ditches and drains, discharging it to rivers and streams that may provide a pathway to the ocean. Some researchers have found that rivers act as major transport pathways for waste into the ocean. Extreme natural events (i.e., flooding, tsunamis, mudslides, or hurricanes) also may create debris or carry it into nearby waterways. There may be other sources of land- based debris that are more difficult to identify. For example, studies have found that some wastewater treatment plants discharge microplastics. How much debris is discharged, what amount reaches the ocean, and its original source may be uncertain. Impacts on Humans, Wildlife, and the Environment According to NOAA, marine debris has varying effects on humans, wildlife, and the environment; however, many

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