Other Information
Date: November, 2016
Pages: 90 - 91
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty eigth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Grand Cayman
Country: Cayman Islands
Abstract
It is estimated that 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year. Approximately 70 percent of this litter ends up on the seafloor, 15% is found on beaches, and the remaining 15% floats on the waters surface. Few sources of pollution affect a wider area, or a larger number of people in the world, than marine litter. It reaches all corners of our oceans, and is negatively impacting the employment source of 350 million people worldwide, costing $13 billion annually in damage to marine ecosystems. Floating and submerged litter can destroy important nursery habitats and serve as a substrate for transporting invasive and harmful species which can threaten marine diversity and disrupt local ecosystems. Litter can also cause losses in aesthetic values of tourist attractions which in turn can result in substantial economic loss.