Given several recent threads at this board about specific microplastics contamination of Pacific tropical fish and specific highest amount of coral cover in 36 years recorded for portions of the Australian Great Barrier Reef, I decided to present herein a macro perspective and macro impact of oceanic garbage patches of marine debris, provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a United States scientific and regulatory agency in the Department of Commerce, tasked with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploration, and managing fishing and protection of marine mammals and endangered species in the U.S. exclusive economic zone.
NOAA FISHERIES: Marine Debris Program: Garbage Patches
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/discover-marine-debris/garbage-patches
What and Where Are Garbage Patches?
Garbage patches are large areas of the ocean where litter, fishing gear, and other debris - known as marine debris - collects. They are formed by rotating ocean currents called âgyres.â You can think of them as big whirlpools that pull objects in. The gyres pull debris into one location, often the gyreâs center, forming âpatches.â
There are five gyres in the ocean. One in the Indian Ocean, two in the Atlantic Ocean, and two in the Pacific Ocean. Garbage patches of varying sizes are located in each gyre.
The most famous of these patches is often called the âGreat Pacific Garbage Patch.â It is located in the North Pacific Gyre (between Hawaii and California). âPatchâ is a misleading nickname, causing many to believe that these are islands of trash. Instead, the debris is spread across the surface of the water and from the surface all the way to the ocean floor. [my emphasis in bold] The debris ranges in size, from large abandoned fishing nets to tiny microplastics, which are plastic pieces smaller than 5mm in size. This makes it possible to sail through some areas of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and see very little to no debris.
[For those interested in more details, hereâs NORA Microplastic website
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/what-marine-debris/microplastics
Our ocean and Great Lakes are polluted with a wide variety of marine debris, ranging from large fishing nets and abandoned vessels, down to the smallest plastic particles that canât be seen with the naked eye. These microplastics are found throughout the ocean and Great Lakes, and are small enough to be eaten by wildlife.]
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and California. It is the most well known patch. While some areas of the patch have more trash than others, much of the debris is made of microplastics (by count). Because microplastics are smaller than a pencil eraser, they are not immediately noticeable to the naked eye. Itâs more like pepper flakes swirling in a soup than something you can skim off the surface. You may come across larger items, like plastic bottles and nets, but itâs possible to sail through some areas of a garbage patch and not see any debris at all. Garbage patches are huge! Itâs difficult to determine an exact size as the trash is constantly moving with ocean currents and winds.
The Impact of Garbage Patches on the Environment
Garbage patches, especially the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, are far out in the middle of the ocean where people hardly ever go. Because they are so remote, it can be hard to study them. Scientists rarely get to see the impacts of garbage patches on animals first hand. So far, we know that marine debris found in garbage patches can impact wildlife in a number of ways:
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Entanglement and ghost fishing: Marine life can be caught and injured, or potentially killed in certain types of debris. Lost fishing nets are especially dangerous. In fact they are often called âghostâ nets because they continue to fish even though they are no longer under the control of a fisher. Ghost nets can trap or wrap around animals, entangling them. Plastic debris with loops can also get hooked on wildlife - think packing straps, six-pack rings, handles of plastic bags, etc.
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Ingestion: Animals may mistakenly eat plastic and other debris. We know that this can be harmful to the health of fish, seabirds, and other marine animals. These items can take up room in their stomachs, making the animals feel full and stopping them from eating real food.
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Non-native species: Marine debris can transport species from one place to another. Algae, barnacles, crabs, or other species can attach themselves to debris and be transported across the ocean. If the species is invasive, and can settle and establish in a new environment, it can outcompete or overcrowd native species, disrupting the ecosystem.
Garbage Patches and Human Health
We donât know whether, or how, garbage patches are impacting human health. Generally speaking, we know that humans may be exposed to microplastics from a number of sources, such as seafood, sea salt, tap water, beer, and even honey. However, we do not know how or if humans are impacted by this. Plastic microfibers can also be transported in the air and found in household dust (e.g., from furniture, carpet, clothing etc.), so exposure from seafood and other ocean sources may be small in comparison. The research community is actively exploring this issue.
Marine debris in garbage patches can have other impacts. For example, it may also cause damage to vessels and be a navigation hazard. Marine debris can be difficult to see in the ocean if itâs floating below the water surface. A boat moving through the water can hit the debris, possibly resulting in costly vessel damage. Nets can become entangled in propellers and clog intakes.
What Happens If Nothing Changes?
The answer is that we do not know. The locations and sizes of these garbage patches are not likely to change very much any time soon. However, the amount of debris may continue to grow as more and more debris enters our ocean each year. This growth will likely worsen current impacts on the environment, navigation, vessel safety, and the economy.
How Do We Get Rid of Garbage Patches?
It may not be possible to entirely get rid of garbage patches. Some of the material will take a very long time to break down in the environment, while other materials, like plastics, may never fully go away. Large debris, like fishing nets, can be removed by people, but debris in the garbage patches is also mostly made up (by count) of plastic pieces smaller than 5mm in size. The debris is also continuously mixed by wind and wave action and is spread from the surface all the way to the ocean floor. Since these microplastics are so small in size, constantly being mixed, and spread out, it would be very difficult to remove them. Finding a cost effective technological solution which can take on these challenges is an extremely daunting task. Unfortunately, we will be dealing with this problem for the foreseeable future.
Here at the NOAA Marine Debris Program, we focus on marine debris prevention and removal from shorelines and coastal areas where debris is easier to pick up. Prevention is key to solving the marine debris problem over time. If you think about an overflowing sink, the first step before cleaning up the water is to turn the tap off. That is exactly how prevention works. By acting to prevent marine debris, we can stop this problem from growing.
To prevent marine debris, we need to understand where it is coming from. Itâs hard to identify specific sources, but we know that marine debris can enter our waterways and ocean in a variety of ways. Ineffective or improper waste management, dumping or littering, and stormwater runoff all lead to marine debris. If we want to âturn off the tap,â everyone, including government, businesses, and people like you, will have to make some meaningful changes. We are the problem, and so we must also be the solution. [My emphasis in bold]
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Now more specifically, hereâs whatâs happening in the northwestern end of the 1,200-mile long Hawaiian islands and atolls chain.
Marine Debris Research and Removal in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Our team surveys and cleans up derelict fishing nets and ocean plastics from the reef and shoreline habitats of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, an ecologically and culturally significant area.
What marine debris do we find?
In the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, we most often find derelict fishing nets, floats, foam buoys, plastic fragments, plastic bottles, bottle caps, cigarette lighters, shoes, and toothbrushes. Marine debris is any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and disposed of or abandoned into the ocean, rivers, or lakes. Marine debris is a threat to wildlife and habitat, navigation safety, the economy, and human safety and health. Today, almost every waterway and shoreline is impacted by marine debris, even in areas as remote as the protected Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
Where is the debris coming from?
The Hawaiian Islands are the most remote island chain in the world, yet beaches are littered with marine debris. The waters surrounding the unpopulated Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are protected as part of the PapahÄnaumokuÄea Marine National Monument, a World Heritage site and the largest fully-protected conservation area. The convergence of ocean currents (gyre) in the region carries lost and abandoned fishing nets and gear from all over the Pacific Ocean, primarily large trawl and drift nets, to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The small islands and atolls act like a filter or comb in the center of the gyre, catching marine debris from the currents, and tangling nets on shallow coral reefs
What are the impacts of marine debris?
As debris rolls across shoreline habitats and reefs, derelict fishing nets can entangle wildlife and damage corals. Derelict fishing gear is especially damaging to fragile coral reefsâsome of the most biologically diverse and economically valuable ecosystems on earth. Derelict fishing nets wear down and break corals or can even grow into the reef structure, smothering living coral.
In addition to damaging corals, derelict fish gear poses a serious choking and entanglement hazard to many threatened or endangered marine species and seabirds in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islandsâincluding the Hawaiian monk seal, green sea turtle, humpback whale, and Laysan albatross. If animals get entangled in nets or swallow plastic debris, they can suffocate, starve, or drown. Derelict fishing nets and gear can also constrict an entangled animalâs movement, can exhaust or injure the animal. Other possible impacts of marine debris include the introduction of invasive species, hazards to boat navigation, and the degradation of beautiful coastlines.
Protecting Paradise: Marine Debris Team Does the Heavy Lifting
November 09, 2018
Stretching 1,200 miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands, a chain of remote islands and atolls known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are hundreds of miles from the nearest human populations. Yet, these beautiful coral reefs and uninhabited shorelines are centrally located in the North Pacific Gyre, where currents gather marine debris from all around the Pacific Ocean.
NOAAâs marine debris team travels from island to island by ship and small boat, carefully pulling derelict âghostâ fishing gear off of underwater reefs and collecting plastic debris from shorelines. They clean up nets and other debris that damage coral reefs and threaten wildlife, including endangered Hawaiian monk seals and green sea turtles. Hauling debris is often a dirty, exhausting, and sometimes fly-filled task, but the team loves its work.
We present to you their story, in photos.
In particular, this photo was deeply disturbing for me as a Native Hawaiian.
In addition to damaging corals, derelict fishing gear poses a serious choking and entanglement hazard to many threatened or endangered marine species and seabirds in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. This green sea turtle (called honu in Hawaiian) got tangled in a ball of fishing line and nets at Pearl and Hermes Atoll. Luckily, the team successfully untangled and released it shortly after this photo was taken (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Ari Halperin).
I was very fortunate to attend the Kamehameha Schools from 1950 to 1962, a private K-12 institution solely for Native Hawaiian children where I was taught Hawaiian culture, language and heritage. In ancient Hawaii (before the arrival of Pacific Ocean explorer British Capt. Cook), when there was no written language, there was heavy reliance on the spoken language of nÄ kumu, the highly revered teachers, masters, or sources of knowledge, representing the foundation of traditional wisdom (e.g., navigation, agriculture, fishing), hula, and storytelling. As guardians of culture, nÄ kumu transmit moÊ»olelo (history/legends), genealogies, and cultural practices (hula, language, healing) across generations, acting as the bridge between ancestors and modern descendants. Caroline Curtis, one of the greatest story tellers of life in old Hawaiâi and ancient Hawaiian legends, held me and my elementary school classmates spellbound and in total awe. One that is still indelible in my mind was about the Hawaiian green sea turtle, or âHonuâ (Chelonia mydas), revered in Native Hawaiian culture as a sacred symbol of good luck, longevity, safety, and wisdom. Often viewed as an âaumakua (ancestral spirit or family guardian), the honu represents the spiritual connection between land and sea.
Key Reasons for Reverence:
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Symbol of Good Fortune & Guidance: Ancient Polynesian Pacific Ocean voyagers looked to the honu as a symbol of navigation and safe passage, while modern culture views it as a guide and protector.
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'Aumakua (Spiritual Guardian): Many Hawaiians consider the turtle to be an ancestral guardian that offers spiritual protection.
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Cultural Legends & Mythology: In Hawaiian tradition, the god Kanaloa sometimes assumed the form of a honu. Another legend tells of a green turtle named Kailua who transformed into a girl to protect children.
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Longevity & Resilience: Known for living over a hundred years, the sea turtle represents enduring life.
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Connection to Creation: The honu is mentioned in the *Kumulipo* (Hawaiian creation chant), cementing its place in the foundation of Hawaiian belief.
Honu are respected as creatures of balance, often seen in petroglyphs and cherished as symbols of peace.
So for me it was highly disturbing and sad to see that photo of a magnificent beautiful honu entangled in recklessly discarded and abandoned fishing lines and netting.
Supporting NOAA efforts to collect marine debris are individual nonprofit groups like this one, PapahÄnaumokuÄkea Marine Debris Project.
Removing Ghost Nets from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
PapahaÌnaumokuaÌkea Marine Debris Project has collected 786,287 pounds of derelict fishing nets and other debris from the vast Hawaiian archipelago.
SEPTEMBER 20, 2024
https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/protecting-hawaiian-wildlife-marine-debris-removal-preservation/
The biggest net found by the PapahÄnaumokuÄkea Marine debris project weighed 11 tons. Their team must cut the heavy nets into pieces before loading them onto their boats. | Photos courtesy: Andrew Sullivan-Haskins
NOAA led large-scale debris removal from 1996 to 2021, Manuel says, during which it removed âabout 2 million pounds of derelict fishing gear.â OâBrien and Morioka, who were both working for NOAA at that time, realized the removal work was probably going to end because âfunding had dropped away to almost nothing,â says OâBrien. So they left NOAA and started PMDP in 2020.
âNow, pretty much all removal efforts in the monument are led by PMDP,â says Manuel.
The nonprofit has acquired its own boats, gear and facility. âWe run it independently of our old group at NOAA, but itâs funded partially by them,â says OâBrien. The most recent support was in the form of a $1.4 million NOAA Sea Grant award for innovation; other money comes from donations, which can be made at pmdphawaii.org.
COLLECTION, DISPOSAL & PROCESSING OF MARINE DEBRIS
In jaaguâs recent âTropical Pacific Islands Fish Are Contaminated With Microplasticsâ post here, pauleckler responded, âGlobal plastics treaty may be wishful thinking. Plastics manufacturers are strongly opposed to caps on production. More/better recycling may be more likely. But new virgin plastic continues to be cheaper and cleaner. Itâs a hard sell.â
Hereâs an ongoing acceptable to everyone solution in Hawaiâi, since 2002.
Hawaiâi Nets to Energy Program, Last updated 03/21/2025
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/prevention/hawaii-nets-energy-program
Due to oceanic currents and winds in the North Pacific, marine debris of all types accumulates in and around Hawaiâi. Much of the debris is made up of fishing nets, a type of gear not used by Hawaiâi fisheries, that have been lost, abandoned, or discarded. These nets are detrimental to animals and important habitat. Fishermen, communities, local removal groups, and trained divers regularly remove these derelict nets from the environment. Instead of adding the nets to already congested landfills, in 2002, a Hawaiâi multi-partner marine debris group devised a unique program to turn this marine debris into usable electricity. [my emphasis in bold]
The Hawaiâi Nets to Energy Program starts at Pier 38 in Honolulu where a large roll-off bin provides a no-cost disposal option for derelict nets that are collected by the Hawaiâi Longline Fleet and local removal groups. The bin is maintained and loaded by Pacific Ocean Producers, and when full the nets are transported to a Schnitzer Steel Hawaiâi Corporation scrap metal recycle facility. There, the nets are chopped into small pieces suitable for combustion at the City and County of Honolulu H-Power energy-from-waste facility run by Covanta Energy. Schnitzer Steel Hawaiâi Corporation transports the chopped net pieces to the H-Power facility. The nets are then burned, producing steam which drives a turbine that creates usable electricity. All services (transport included) are provided free of charge by these groups.The Hawaiâi Nets to Energy Program is possible only through the partnership and support of this multi-organizational marine debris group.
Capacity: The H-POWER plant handles roughly 2,000 tons of waste per day, producing about 46 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 40,000+ homes.
Finally, for those interested, according to a Google AI Overview, modern commercial fishing nets are primarily made from durable, synthetic, non-biodegradable plastics like Nylon (polyamide), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), and Polypropylene (PP). These materials are preferred for their strength, lightweight nature, and resistance to water damage, allowing them to last for years in harsh saltwater environments.
Key materials and types:
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Nylon (Polyamide): The most common material, used in monofilament (single strand) for gillnets or multifilament (multiple twisted strands) for, for example, seine nets. It is known for high strength and flexibility.
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High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE): Commonly used for trawl nets and aquaculture cages due to its resistance to abrasion, wear, and corrosion.
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Polypropylene: Used for its strength and resistance to environmental degradation.
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Polyester: Sometimes used, appearing similar to multifilament nylon.
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Traditional materials: While rare today, some artisanal nets may still use cotton or other natural fibers.
These synthetic nets are often treated to withstand UV rays and are designed to be extremely durable, which unfortunately makes them prone to becoming âghost netsâ if lost at sea.
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Right now itâs a âDavid vs. Goliathâ confrontation. A positive outcome/solution for this massive marine debris problem currently appears rather bleak because it demands and depends on long-term international cooperation, commitment and funding. The UN Global Plastic Treaty, i.e., a legally binding international instrument currently being negotiated by 175 nations under the UNEP - UN Environment Programme to end plastic pollution by addressing the full life cycle of plastics, from production to disposal, is NO âDavidâ yet, since negotiations from March 2022 to present are hopelessly at a serious standstill and becoming what pauleckler called âwishful thinking.â
Aug 15, 2025, INC-5.2: The global plastics treaty talks - hereâs what just happened
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/08/global-plastics-treaty-inc-5-2-explainer/
Regards,
Ray