HI43A:
The Emerging Science of Marine Debris: From Assessment to Knowledge that Informs Solutions II


Session ID#: 11392

Session Description:
Anthropogenic marine debris has been found in coastal and ocean ecosystems across the globe. It is a major threat to marine species and habitats. Marine debris ranges from microplastics to derelict fishing gear, abandoned vessels and tsunami debris, and is associated with a variety of ecological impacts including ingestion, entanglement, invasive species transport, and habitat impairment. Assessment of the quantity, composition, and spatial extent of marine debris is a necessary first step to understand the drivers of debris accumulation and its impacts on wildlife and habitats. Recent research into plastic debris has expanded beyond assessment to include systematic studies asking questions ranging from the global scale of plastic inputs and fate in the environment to biological responses to plastic exposure in a variety of marine organisms. Current research aims to answer such questions not only to advance basic science, but also to inform members of the public, industry, NGOs and policymakers who are working to find solutions. Ultimately, monitoring projects are essential to evaluate the success of marine debris mitigation efforts, prevention programs and pubic policies. We invite presentation of results that further our understanding of all aspects of marine debris, including information to advance solutions to this problem.
Primary Chair:  Kara L Lavender Law, Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA, United States
Chairs:  Jenna Jambeck, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States, Hillary Kathleen Burgess, University of Washington, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, Seattle, WA, United States and Amy V Uhrin, NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, Marine Debris Division, Silver Spring, MD, United States
Moderators:  Amy V Uhrin, NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, Marine Debris Division, Silver Spring, MD, United States, Jenna Jambeck, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States, Kara L Lavender Law, Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA, United States and Hillary Kathleen Burgess, University of Washington, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, Seattle, WA, United States
Student Paper Review Liaison:  Kara L Lavender Law, Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA, United States
Index Terms:

4251 Marine pollution [OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL]
6349 General or miscellaneous [POLICY SCIENCES]
Co-Sponsor(s):
  • EC - Estuarine and Coastal
  • ME - Marine Ecosystems
  • P - Policy

Abstracts Submitted to this Session:

Relating plastic in the ocean to ecological harm, a review of recent progress in risk analysis (93899)
Britta Denise Hardesty1, Chris Wilcox1, Qamar A Schuyler2, Erik van Sebille3, Nicholas James Mallos4 and George H Leonard4, (1)CSIRO, Oceans and Atmosphere Business Unit, Hobart, Australia, (2)University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, St. Lucia, Australia, (3)Imperial College London, Grantham Institute, London, SW7, United Kingdom, (4)Ocean Conservancy, Trash Free Seas Program, Washington, DC, United States
Using Expert Elicitation to Estimate the Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Marine Wildlife (87990)
Nicholas James Mallos1, Chris Wilcox2, George H Leonard1, Alba G Rodriquez1 and Britta Denise Hardesty2, (1)Ocean Conservancy, Trash Free Seas Program, Washington, DC, United States, (2)CSIRO, Oceans and Atmosphere Business Unit, Hobart, Australia
A Comprehensive Approach to Evaluating Hazards of Microplastics in the Marine Environment (89017)
Abigail Emery Noble, Ari S Lewis, Chase H Butler, Tamara D Lunsman and Tim Verslycke, Gradient, Cambridge, MA, United States
Loopy, Floppy and Fragmented: Debris Characteristics Matter (93452)
Hillary Kathleen Burgess, University of Washington, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, Seattle, WA, United States and Julia Parrish, Univ of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
Types and Origins of Debris Found on Maui Shorelines: Implications for Mitigation Policies and Strategies (86952)
Lauren Blickley, Jens J Currie and Gregory D Kaufman, Pacific Whale Foundation, Wailuku, HI, United States
Tropical Cyclones, Derelict Traps, and the Future of the Florida Keys Commercial Spiny Lobster Fishery (87414)
Amy V Uhrin, NOAA, Office of Response and Restoration, Marine Debris Division, Silver Spring, MD, United States
Plastic Free Belize: People, Plastic, and Pollution in a developing Caribbean nation (88011)
Paulita A Bennett-Martin, Oceana Belize, Belmopan, Belize; Emory University, Master's in Development Practice, Atlanta, GA, United States and Pam Longobardi, Georgia State Univeristy, Arts, Atlanta, GA, United States
Marine Litter in the context of ‘G7’ – Nothing but empty rhetoric? (88153)
Judith Neumann and Heike Imhoff, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Division WR I 5 - Protection of the Marine Environment, Bonn, Germany