Marine debris is any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. While this definition encompasses a wide range of materials, most items fall into a relatively small number of material types such as glass, metal, paper and plastic. Plastic items are the most abundant type of marine debris on a global scale and plastic is also the most frequently reported material in encounters between debris and marine organisms. Marine debris commonly stems from shoreline and recreational activities, ocean/waterway activities, smoking related activities, and dumping at sea (Ocean Conservancy, 2010). Man-made items of debris are now found in marine habitats throughout the world, from the poles to the equator, from shorelines and estuaries to remote areas of the high seas, and from the sea surface to the ocean floor.
