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Updated February 11, 2019
Marine Debris: NOAA’s Role
NOAA’s Marine Debris Program
Figure 1. Marine Debris on a Hawaiian Shoreline
In 2006, Congress enacted the Marine Debris Research,
Prevention, and Reduction Act (Marine Debris Act, 33
U.S.C. §1951 et seq.; P.L. 109-449). It defines marine
debris to include “any persistent solid material,
manufactured or processed and directly or indirectly,
intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned
into the marine environment or Great Lakes.” Marine debris
may include, for example, materials made of plastic, rubber,
metal, glass, or treated or painted wood.
Under the Marine Debris Act, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is the lead federal
agency responsible for coordinating the federal
government’s efforts to address marine debris. The act
established the Marine Debris Program (MDP) within
NOAA. Its purpose is to help identify, determine sources
of, assess, prevent, reduce, and remove marine debris and to
Source: NOAA Marine Debris Program.
address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the U.S.
economy, marine environment, and navigation safety.
Sources of Marine Debris
Congress has also passed other legislation authorizing
Marine debris is difficult to trace back to its source, which
several agencies to take some responsibility to address
may include ocean- and land-based sources. Marine debris
certain aspects of marine debris. This CRS product
from ocean-based sources may include derelict fishing gear
concentrates on NOAA’s role.
(e.g., nets, lines), abandoned and derelict vessels, and
equipment or waste released—intentionally or
According to NOAA, the MDP achieves its mission
unintentionally—from at-sea vessels (e.g., cruise or
through five program “pillars”: prevention, removal,
container ships, fishing boats, or other vessels).
research, regional coordination, and emergency response.
Through the MDP, NOAA tracks the location of marine
Until the 1970s, developed countries around the world
debris and supports community- and region-based efforts to
disposed of municipal and industrial waste directly into the
remove it and research its effects on humans and the
oceans. Most countries currently prohibit ocean dumping.
environment. To do so, NOAA provides technical and
Still, mismanaged waste may find a pathway to the ocean.
financial assistance to state and local agencies, tribes,
Mismanaged waste generally includes littering or illegal
nongovernmental organizations, academia, and industry.
dumping or inadequate disposal. Inadequate disposal may
include disposal in an open dump or a poorly contained
Location of Marine Debris
landfill. The United States and other developed countries
Marine debris is found in oceans around the globe and from
have laws prohibiting such practices. However, countries
the ocean surface to the sea floor. It has been recorded in
where vast amounts of waste are disposed (e.g., China and
numerous marine environments, such as shorelines, coral
other Asian countries) are known to allow inadequate
reefs, polar regions, and estuaries. The dynamic
disposal. A number of studies have identified inadequately
combination of diverse marine debris sizes, types, and
or illegally discarded waste as a potentially substantial land-
sources; ocean currents; and wind makes it difficult to
based source of marine debris and found that rivers can act
establish an accurate estimate of the total mass of marine
as major transport pathways for that waste to reach the
debris currently in or entering the oceans.
ocean.
NOAA tracks issues related to marine debris across
Plastic waste from land-based sources comes in a range of
environments, including on U.S. shorelines and coastal
sizes and types, from microplastics to larger plastic items or
waters, in the open ocean, and within “garbage patches”—
macroplastics (e.g., bottles, bags, or foam materials).
large areas of rotating ocean currents or gyres that can pull
Plastics from many sources may reach oceans, but
in and concentrate marine debris. Marine debris from these
determining the exact sources of plastics in a given
areas may be redistributed and redeposited on nearby
waterbody can be difficult. For example, municipal
shores. This is an increasing problem in certain U.S. states
wastewater treatment facilities have been identified as one
and territories (Figure 1).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 Marine Debris: NOAA’s Role
source of microplastic discharges to freshwater and,
recommendations on research priorities, monitoring, and
potentially, to oceans.
regulatory action. The IMDCC also includes the
Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Safety and
Environmental Enforcement, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Microplastics
Service, National Park Service, Department of Justice,
NOAA identifies microplastics as plastic particles less than 5
Department of State, Marine Mammal Commission, U.S.
mil imeters in size. (Especial y small particles have also been
Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S.
referred to as nanoplastics.) They can be categorized as
Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Navy.
primary or secondary. Primary microplastics are manufactured
as microbeads, capsules, fibers, or pellets and are used in
cosmetics, personal care products, industrial products, and
Amendments to the Marine Debris Act
microfibers from synthetic textiles. Secondary microplastics
The Marine Debris Act has been amended several times,
form through the natural degradation and fragmentation of
including in 2012, and most recently in 2018 through Title I
larger plastic items. Microplastics have been found in high
of the Save Our Seas Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-265). Section
concentrations in both freshwater and marine environments.
101 of P.L. 115-265 expands the MDP components to
include consulting with the Department of State and other
Impacts to Humans and the Environment
agencies to promote international efforts to reduce marine
debris. It also authorizes NOAA to determine whether there
Marine debris may have varying effects on marine wildlife
is a “severe marine debris event.” In part, Section 102 states
and human uses of marine environments. Wildlife may
the sense of Congress that the President should support
become entangled with items such as derelict fishing gear,
research and development on systems that reduce derelict
rubber bands, and balloon strings and, as a result, can
fishing gear and the amount of solid waste generated from
experience injury, illness, suffocation, starvation, and death.
land-based sources that enter the marine environment and
Wildlife are also at risk of ingesting marine debris, which
should work with foreign countries that discharge the
may lead to starvation, internal injury, and blockage.
largest amounts of solid waste from land-based sources to
Ingestion may also provide a pathway for toxic constituents
reduce such discharges. The remaining sections express
associated with certain marine debris, such as plastics, to be
congressional support for the Great Lakes Land-Based
absorbed by wildlife. Adverse impacts to the animal or, in
Marine Debris Action Plan, expand IMDCC membership to
some instances, its offspring may include inflammation and
include the Department of State, and authorize
reproductive or development impairment.
appropriations for NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard to
implement the act.
Several studies have noted the effects of marine debris on
human uses of marine resources. Debris at the surface can
Other Recent Efforts by Congress
cause navigation and boating hazards, whether through
The 115th Congress also appropriated funding to NOAA to
damage to the vessel on impact or via tangled propellers
carry out marine debris assessment and removal related to
and clogged intake pipes. Communities with shoreline
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria (P.L. 115-123, Title II,
marine debris may experience a decrease in tourism and
Division B).
could incur higher cleaning and maintenance costs. Plastics
have also been found in several foodstuffs, including tap
Some Members have continued to express concern over
water, bottled water, and table salt.
global and domestic issues with marine debris. It is unclear
how or whether Congress may involve NOAA in efforts to
Interagency Coordination
address those issues. Members may also consider
Section 5 of the 2006 Marine Debris Act re-established the
previously proposed legislation, such as bills introduced in
Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee
the 115th Congress (Table 1).
(IMDCC; 33 U.S.C. §1954), with NOAA as chair. The
IMDCC coordinates federal agency activities and makes
Table 1. Selected Legislative Proposals in the 115th Congress
Public Law or Bill Number
Marine Debris Provisions
H.R. 2748, Save Our Seas Act of 2017
Similar to P.L. 115-265 but would have emphasized providing assistance to rural and
remote communities and habitats of national concern, among other differences.
Provisions in various House appropriations
Would have appropriated additional funds to NOAA for marine debris surveys,
bil s, including H.R. 695, H.R. 3686, and H.R.
assessment, and removal related to major disasters, such as the 2017 and 2018
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hurricanes, Typhoon Yutu, and wildfires.
H.R. 5763 (Title I), Albatross and Petrel
Would have authorized NOAA to research the effects of marine debris on these
Conservation Act
species and implement conservation efforts to minimize identified effects.
H.R. 5996 (Title I), Coral Reef Conservation
Would have authorized NOAA to provide assistance to state and local government
Reauthorization Act of 2018
agencies to prevent or minimize impacts of marine debris on coral reefs.
Source: CRS.
Eva Lipiec, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
Linda Luther, Analyst in Environmental Policy
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Marine Debris: NOAA’s Role
IF10967
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