Marine litter is one of our most worrying environmental issues. It is suprising that many people believe that if they throw litter onto a beach or into the sea it will simply be swept away and disappear in the blue depths. However, this is not the case...

The Pacific Landfill

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth. It is surrounded by a circle of violent volcanic activity called the 'Ring of Fire'. It is famous for its fantastic marine life including the dugong, sea lion and many species of whales and turtles. Are these animals be living in the world's largest rubbish bin?

The surface currents in the Northern Pacific are dominated by a Subtropical Gyre, this is caused by slow moving, clockwise spiral of currents created by a system of air currents. However, this huge expanse of circulating ocean water contain more than a few fish, it contains vast amounts of marine litter, most of which is plastic. There are actually two rubbish patches in the pacific, one to the east and one to the west, together they are known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The rubbish which circulates in the patch originates from all over the world and is washed down rivers into the seas, is discarded from shipping and even from beach users dropping their litter.

It is here in this Great Pacific Garbage Patch where hazards are encountered by marine organisms, shipping and tourism. This marine debris is deadly to marine animals when it is ingested as it can have accumulated high amounts of toxins. The creatures can also become entangled, cut or even drowned by the many types of floating plastics. Even if the plastic breaks down to small size particles it can still cause damage when it is ingested by filter feeders. When these particles with associated concentrated toxins accumulate within the bodies of filter feeders the whole food chain can then be affected.

The rubbish can also damage passing ships and submarines, can litter beaches, discourage swimming and cause irreparable damage to local and commercial fisheries.

You can help halt the expansion of this huge landfill by doing your bit on dry land: stop using plastic bags, recycle and reuse, read up on how litter affects our marine environment and even organise a local clean up on a beach near you (see the 'Beaches' section of our website).

Dunes or Dump?

Marine litter around Northern Ireland is a major problem which is often overlooked until it accumulates on our beaches. The litter found on our beaches is potentially damaging and even life threatening to the creatures which live on our beaches and below the waterline, not to mention people who can be injured when the litter is sharp. It is about time action was taken.

Plastic is the main contributor to the vast amount of litter washed up on our beaches every year, a total of 50% of litter found in our ocean is plastic. Plastic bags have been noted as one of the most dangerous forms of litter due to their likeness to jellyfish when floating in the water column which look particularly tasty to animals like sea turtles. Fishing lines and nets can also become deadly if they are lost from a vessel, leaving a 'ghost net' to travel the seas entangling and drowning cetaceans and birds which can sometimes be found washed up on our shores. It is estimated that 1 million seabirds and over 100 000 sea turtles and mammals die each year as a result of this litter.

A survey done by the Marine Conservation Society's Beach Watch indicated that litter levels have increased by a massive 124%. This litter includes wood, paper and cardboard, rubber, metals, sanitary items, cloth and glass. These types of litter can come from a variety of sources including: shipping, fly tipping, recreational and leisure usage and the fishing industry. All these objects can cause injuries to both animals and humans.

Although it is difficult to control the vast amount of litter which is emptied in to our seas every year we can make a difference by leaving nothing on the beach when we leave to go home and even organise a beach clean to get everyone involved, this can be done through the TIDY Northern Ireland Clean Coast Programme.

Our beaches are one of our best recreational areas and where some of our most beautiful and interesting wildlife live. Beach litter is not only an eyesore but a huge global problem, action urgently needs to be taken to arrest the growing marine threat.