Where Does Marine Litter Come From...

There are many sources of marine litter. When we attend beaches and see litter lying around on the floor that is usually from improper waste disposal. These items then enter the waters, usually via the wind. Ocean currents take these pieces of litter all around the globe, therefore litter found in the ocean can be from anywhere in the world. Around 10% of marine litter is from discarded fishing gear. Fishing gear can often be let go by boats unintentionally and they remain in the water, continuing to pose a threat to the marine life. Even though most of our litter is disposed of inland, a percentage of this ends up in the ocean also due improper waste disposal and even rivers or wind carrying them to the sea. Some marine litter, however, is unintentional. Storms and raging seas often times cause ships that carry cargo to crash and the contents of the ships then ends up into the ocean and is left to  float around. Bottom line, all marine litter is caused by some sort of HUMAN ACTIVITY.