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Biogeography Home

Assessment, Monitoring, and Reduction of the Causes and Impacts of Marine Debris in the South Atlantic Bight

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Objectives

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Biogeography Branch (BB) is collaborating with Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) and NOAA’s Marine Debris Program to assess, monitor, and reduce the causes and impacts of marine debris in GRNMS, a representative hardbottom habitat in the South Atlantic Bight. Specific objectives are as follows:

1. Select, mark, and perform initial transect surveys at permanent sites within GRNMS to quantify long-term trends in types, abundance, impacts, and accumulation rates of debris within the sanctuary.
2. Compare types, abundance, and accumulation rates of marine debris between a) areas of high and low use and b) short and tall ledges.
3. Improve outreach efforts to target user groups through seminars and the distribution of informational pamphlets and mesh bags for debris collection.
4. Hold meetings with recreational fishermen and constituents to present information on marine debris reduction and identify perceived sources of debris.
5. Examine national reconnaissance data (e.g. satellite, radar, aerial surveys) for patterns of resource use and correlations with debris patterns.
6. Refine models predicting the density of marine debris based on bottom type, benthic features, and boater density.

Project Summary

Marine debris has been documented as an increasing problem affecting many parts of the coastal US. Despite focused attention in some regions, a comprehensive understanding of marine debris issues representative of all US coastal areas suffers from lack of studies in several regions. For example, the amount, types, and causes of marine debris affecting hardbottom reef resources of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) have not been studied. The SAB extends from Cape Canaveral, FL to Cape Hatteras, NC and is home to thriving benthic and fish communities. NOAA’s Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) is the only natural area protected off the Georgia coast and the only federally protected ocean bottom habitat in the South Atlantic Bight. Less than one percent of the 17 square nautical mile sanctuary is densely colonized live bottom habitat, which attracts a growing number of recreational fishers and divers. As part of a recent characterization of GRNMS (Kendall et al. 2007), the Biogeography Branch has characterized marine debris in Gray’s Reef. They found that incidence of the debris at the limited densely colonized ledge sites in the sanctuary was significantly greater than at sand or sparsely colonized live bottom, and is further influenced by the level of boating activity and physiographic characteristics (e.g., ledge height). Building upon this work, scientists from the BB will work with sanctuary staff to establish a long-term monitoring program to quantify accumulation rates and impacts of marine debris at densely colonized ledge habitat. NOAA scientists will design the survey, select and mark sites, and then perform the initial survey and remove debris from each site. GRNMS staff will then perform the survey on an annual basis. Additional boat location data will be analyzed to relate spatial patterns of debris to improve prediction models. At the same time, GRNMS will expand outreach programs to educate users and the general public about the importance of reducing marine debris inputs.

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Reports and Publications

• Kendall, M.S., L.J. Bauer, and C.F.G Jeffrey. A characterization of the benthos, marine debris, and bottom fish in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA NOS NCCOS Technical Memorandum 50.
• Bauer, L.J., M.S. Kendall, and C.F.G. Jeffrey. Incidence of marine debris and its relationships with benthic features in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Southeast USA. Marine Pollution Bulletin 56:402-413.

• Marine Debris Forum Presentation - April 2008

Partners

• Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
• NOAA Marine Debris Program

Relevant Links

• Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
• NOAA Marine Debris Program
• Characterization of the Fish, Benthos, and Marine Debris in Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Time Frame

June 2007-November 2009

For More Information

Laurie Bauer
1305 East West Highway
SSMC-IV, N/SCI-1
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-713-3022 x236

Matt Kendall
1305 East West Highway
SSMC-IV, N/SCI-1
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-713-3022 x144

Greg McFall
Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
10 Ocean Science Circle
Savannah, GA 31411
912-598-2416