RECREATION
MARINE DUMPING AND DEBRIS Marine debris will not disintegrate, has the potential to harm aquatic life and to damage boat engines by clogging intake valves and ports and becoming tangled around propellers.
* Plastic bags are mistakenly ingested by sea turtles as jelly fish, a common food item.
* Monofilament fishing lines and six-pack plastic rings can entrap pelicans and other seabirds, and ultimately strangle or starve the birds.
* Whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals are at risk through ingestion or entanglement of plastic refuse.
Trash storage and disposal will not become a problem if boaters:
- Designate an area where trash an be stored on board the boat.
- Secure any loose items so they do not blow overboard or fly out of the boat when it is in operation.
- Never throw anything (cans, plastic objects, miscellaneous items, leftover foods, etc.) overboard.
- Use marina pump-out stations. Empty your boat's marine sanitation devices and/or holding tanks at pump-out stations, not overboard. The U.S. Coast Guard requires sanitizing gear or an onboard holding tank within three miles of shore.
The International Year of the Ocean Home Page is a publication of the NOAA Home Page Design and Construction Company