Incidence of plastic and other marine debris on the seabed, disposed in rural coastal harbours / by Victoria Han, Corey J. Morris, Robert S. Gregory, Daniel Porter, and Philip S. Sargent.: Fs97-6/3304E-PDF

"In this ten-year study, we measured debris annually in 17 rural harbours around the Island of Newfoundland, Canada. This survey analyzed 96,412 m² of seabed video, categorized into wharf (n=9) non-wharf site (n=3) and low use (n=5) sites. For a standardized average site-survey area of 692 m², the average area containing debris was 114 m² at wharfs, 45 m² at non-wharfs, and 8 m² at low-use sites. Debris items were categorized as glass, metal, wood, plastic, paper, rubber, and unidentified. Of the plastic fraction (14%), 29% was household plastic, 25% was single-use plastics, 23% was "fishing-based"; and the remaining 23% was synthetic fabrics and "recreational" plastics (e.g., golf balls). Wharf sites had the greatest proportion of debris on average and the greatest amount of plastic debris. We suggest that more education and awareness could reduce this environmental problem"--Abstract, page v.

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