Marine Debris: Removal and Assessment in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 2014
March 22, 2019
Noting that islands and atolls of the Hawaiian Archipelago are particularly prone to marine debris accumulation because of their central location within the North Pacific Gyre.
The islands and atolls of the Hawaiian Archipelago, stretching from 19ºN to 28ºN latitude (including the PMNM), are particularly prone to marine debris accumulation because of their central location within the North Pacific Gyre.
The gyre is a clockwise circular pattern of the prevailing ocean currents between 8ºN and 50ºN latitude, covering approximately 34 million km² (10 million mi²), in which debris from around the North Pacific Rim gathers and circulates.
The NWHI reefs and islands, in particular, amass marine debris that presents potentially lethal entanglement hazards and ingestion threats to numerous marine and bird species (Donahue et al., 2001).
Other potential effects of marine debris include habitat degradation in coral reef ecosystems, introduction of non-native species, and hazards to boat navigation.
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. 2015. Marine Debris: Removal and Assessment in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: 2014. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, PIFSC Special Publication, SP-15-003, 8 p. https://doi.org/10.25923/9dzx-f595.