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Types

Marine debris comes in all shapes and sizes. It can vary from large trawl nets, accidentally discarded or lost at sea, to plastic pieces smaller than a grain of rice that float throughout the water column.

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All resources that are credited to NOAA are in the public domain and are free to use; however, we would appreciate you listing us as your source. For use of resources credited to other organizations, permission should be obtained from that organization.
Microplastics found on a Lake Ontario beach.
Debris at Magee Wildlife Area near Oak Harbor, OH.
People organize marine debris into piles on the grass.
Bucket of microplastics (Photo: Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii).
Marine debris found on a sandy beach in Orange County California.
A person bends down on a beach to view derelict aquacuture gear that has been left on a beach.
Three people stand on a beach examining derelict crab pots that are resting in the sand.
A close up view of microplastics in a pile on a table.
Chair covered in barnacles and other growth.
A coffee cup found on the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. (Photo Credit: NOAA)
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