Download Ecological Effects of Marine Debris

Ecological Effects of
Marine Debris
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Geographic Swath
No rth wes te rn H awaiia n Is la n d s
No rth ern
Ma rian a
Is la n d s
G uam
Ma in H awaiian Is la nd s
Wak e Is lan d
J o h n s to n Is la n d
K i n g ma n R e ef
P almy r a A to ll
H owlan d an d
B aker Is la n d s
J arv is Is l an d
A m e ri c a n S a m o a
Au s tralia
Coincides with North Pacific
oceanography
North Pacific Subtropical Gyre
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Legal Framework
• Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act
• Endangered Species Act
• Marine Mammal Protection Act
• Coral Reef Conservation Act
• International agreements
Potential Effects
• Direct contact
– Entanglement
• Ingestion
– Physiological and biochemical
• Habitat modification
• Invasive species
• Human health
Potential Effects
Protected Species
Wildlife
Entanglement
Curious animals get in trouble
Foraging ecology of green turtles
How does this affect reproduction,
foraging, and other population effects?
Fibropapilloma
in Hawaiian green turtles
Reef Damage
Scar on reef left after net removal
Main Hawaiian Islands
Next Steps
• Monitoring
– Remote sensing
– Drifters/gliders
– Transect Surveys
• Modeling
• Assessment
– Physical
– Ecological
– Economic
• Mitigation
Kudos to
staff
involved in
marine
debris
research
and cleanup for over
30 years