Virginia Marine Debris Resource Hub

"Marine Debris" is any persistent, solid, human-made waste that enters marine or coastal environments.

Marine debris comes from many different sources and enters the ocean in many ways. All kinds of litter and trash finds its way to Virginia's streams, rivers, the Chesapeake Bay, and ultimately into the ocean. This marine debris is made up of a lot of plastic!

For this reason, the Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan, a state-wide focused plan, addresses four main types of marine debris found in Virginia- consumer debris (especially single-use plastics); improperly discarded fishing gear (a lot of plastic lines and pieces); microplastics and microfibers (found everywhere); and abandoned watercraft (built with lots of plastic parts).

We use "marine debris" to also refer to mismanaged waste in all water bodies, not just saltwater like the "marine" name suggests. Trash found in rivers, lakes, and the ocean are all marine debris!

Learn more at Marine Debris Overview