1 of 26

What is Marine Debris?

2 of 26

Marine Debris is…

Any persistent, solid material that is human-made and, directly or indirectly, accidentally or purposefully, disposed of or abandoned in the ocean or Great Lakes.

3 of 26

What are some examples of marine debris?

Raise your hand!

4 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

5 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

6 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

7 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

8 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

9 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

10 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

11 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

12 of 26

Is it Marine Debris?

13 of 26

What are some types of marine debris you have seen?

14 of 26

How does marine debris get to the CNMI?

Marine debris arrives in the Northern Marianas from both local and distant sources. What are some sources you can think of?

15 of 26

Beaches in the CNMI

16 of 26

Beachgoers

Local Sources

People on the beach can create marine debris when they:

  • Accidentally drop food wrappers
  • Leave beach toys when they go home
  • The waves grab their items

Always remember to “pack-in, pack-out” when you’re at the beach!

17 of 26

Littering

Local Sources

Littering happens often, both on purpose and by accident. Here are some ways:

  • Drop trash on the ground purposefully
  • There are no trash cans or all the trash cans are full, so there is no where for people to dispose of their trash
  • Trash gets picked up by the wind

18 of 26

Open-Air Landfills and Dumps

Local Sources

  • Saipan, Tinian and Rota all have open-air landfills or dumpsites.
  • Most of these are located near water, which means that if there are strong winds, trash can blow into the ocean
  • It is difficult to find a solution to this problem since there aren’t many other options

19 of 26

Illegal Disposal

Local Sources

Since landfills and dump sites can be out of the way and trash pick up can be expensive, some people dump their trash illegally (in the woods, on the side of the road, etc).

20 of 26

Distant Sources

Debris can arrive in the CNMI from all around the Pacific Ocean through currents. Within each ocean basin, large, rotating currents form gyres, which are like big whirlpools that pull objects towards the center. Across the world, there are 5 gyres, 2 in the Pacific, 2 in the Atlantic and 1 in the Indian Ocean.

​

Because of currents and wind, most distant debris shows up on east facing shorelines.

21 of 26

Garbage Patches and Gyres

22 of 26

What does a garbage patch look like?

This?

Or This?

23 of 26

Group Activity

Beach Box Exploration

24 of 26

Beach Box Exploration

Photos from Oregon SeaGrant

25 of 26

Group Discussion

  • What are the most frequently found marine debris items?
  • Where do you think those items come from (beachgoers, drift debris, etc.)?
  • Were you surprised to see any of the items?
  • Are any of these items things that you use in your day-to-day life?
  • What do you do with those items when you are finished with them?

26 of 26

Questions?

​