Marine Debris

The primary measure of success is to decrease the mass of marine debris collected per mile during the fall International Coastal Cleanup by 10 percent from the 2022 five-year rolling average baseline of 174 pounds per mile.

Status

Every fall, volunteers on both sides of Long Island Sound participate in beach and coastal park cleanups as part of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup events. The number of pounds of debris collected per mile at these events, based on a five-year moving average (2019-2024), was 87 pounds per mile, which is a 50 percent decrease from the 2022 average.

Many variables  influence the accounting of debris collected each year, including the types of debris collected, the number of volunteers, the weather, variability in the beaches selected for clean up, and if there were other cleanups on the beaches before the fall cleanup. In 2020, for example, overall the number of cleanups and the amount of debris collected were significantly reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in Connecticut, while organized cleanups declined, the amount of debris collected and the number of miles covered increased because Connecticut residents were able to operate independently using a self-reporting app developed by the Ocean Conservancy. Therefore, more analysis is needed to determine whether the declining trend signals an actual reduction in coastal debris or if there are other operational variations that could explain trends.

Furthermore, to try to better understand the overall trend, organizations separate and count by category. For example, the number of grocery plastic bags collected  has declined. Both New York and Connecticut have experienced a 96 percent and 88 percent reduction in the number of plastic bags collected per mile. This is likely the result of the single use plastic bag ban that went into full effect in 2021. The Long Island Sound Partnership has been assigned the task of developing a report to establish a framework for monitoring and tracking debris reduction, and to identify hotspots for trash collection and removal in the Sound.

Challenges

A primary challenge is capturing debris before it reaches Long Island Sound  waters and shoreline. There is a need to improve land-based debris capture methods in storm drains and combined sewer systems throughout the watershed and to improve awareness of the negative impacts due to discarded fishing and shellfishing gear in Long Island Sound. Furthermore, tracking meaningful progress has been difficult in the past, and part of this objective aims to establish a better framework for monitoring by 2030. Ultimately, preventing litter at its source requires changes in public behavior, such as reducing the use of disposable items.

Importance

Marine debris, defined as any persistent solid material that is manufactured and enters the marine environment, poses a significant threat. It adversely affects marine and estuarine habitats and organisms, causes economic losses to tourism and maritime industries, and can facilitate the movement of invasive species. Marine animals can become entangled in debris like discarded fishing gear and lines or ingest plastics, which harms their health and can affect predators higher up the food chain, including humans.