Marine Debris in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest region spans Oregon and Washington, with a combined tidal shoreline of 4,436 miles. Commercial and recreational fishing along the outer coast, in rivers, and inland waters results in lost fishing gear, which often requires removal by professionals fishers and divers. Most marine debris washing up along the sparsely populated coast of the Pacific Northwest comes from all across the Pacific Rim, a testimony to the global nature of the marine debris problem. It is volunteer effort that removes most of this marine debris. Marine debris removal is difficult in remote and largely inaccessible coastal areas in the region, especially in the fall and winter when storms bring more debris on the beaches, yet make removal much more challenging.