Calling all divers and snorklers for fact check...

[jgvergo]

I am completely perplexed by this (and similar) studies. I have been diving over many miles of coral reefs in the Caribbean and Hawaii. I've never seen a single piece of plastic on the reefs, on the bottom or in the water. So I am struggling, without success, to reconcile my first hand observations with those of this study.

The study does point out that 4 countries (Australia, Thailand, Indonesia and Myanmar) are "heavily contaminated", but that rings hollow too. The vast majority of the Australian coast is essentially uninhabited. The areas I've dove are pretty populated. How can there be no observable plastic in all of the places I've been and "heavy contamination" in Australia, which is much less inhabited than some of the areas I dove.

I'd love to get first hand accounts from the divers and snorkelers among us. How big a problem is this???

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

FYI, later in the article, it says:

Australian reefs had the least amount of plastic observed on reefs, which the researchers attribute to a more comprehensive system for waste control.

 

[tripdad]

Simply google the following: (plastic washed up on island). The images are really startling.

 

[jgvergo]

FYI, later in the article, it says:

True, but that's after saying it is "heavily contaminated". I am one of those people who trusts their senses. That's why I'm really curious to know whet the first hand observations are of people in our hobby. I think there are a lot of divers among us, and we are probably very tuned in to solution and the health of the reefs we dive on.

 

[stylaster]

from personal experience in samoa, fiji, tonga, and bali. Trash was not see on the reefs that i dived on off shore (ie atleast 100 yards from shore) Trash was found in lagoon areas close to shore, especially in seagrass beds i would find glass bottles, plastics and an occasional tire. I think one reason you dont see much trash on the offshore reefs is that storms push it toward the beach and you find most of it will settle in lagoons and other low flow areas

 

[jgvergo]

Simply google the following: (plastic washed up on island). The images are really startling.

I have seen those images. From a scientific perspective, what matters is the magnitude of the problem. I would not doubt that there are areas where plastic pollution is a problem, but it's possible that the problems are very localized or very widespread. I'm trying to use the eyes of our community to get a first hand understanding of which is more likely to be the case.

 

[jgvergo]

from personal experience in samoa, fiji, tonga, and bali. Trash was not see on the reefs that i dived on off shore (ie atleast 100 yards from shore) Trash was found in lagoon areas close to shore, especially in seagrass beds i would find glass bottles, plastics and an occasional tire. I think one reason you dont see much trash on the offshore reefs is that storms push it toward the beach and you find most of it will settle in lagoons and other low flow areas

Most of my diving experience is off shore as well. It makes sense that areas closer to shore are more polluted. Most of the reefs I'm familiar with extend for many 100's of yards (if not miles) offshore. As a result, it would seem reasonable to conclude that most of the reef ecosystems are not directly impacted by plastic.

 

[DLHDesign]

As a California resident, I dive up and down the Pacific coast. There's rarely a dive (shore or boat) where I don't come out of the water without some bit of garbage in my pocket.

In my experience, it's easy to not see garbage when diving. The color shift that happens at even shallow depths combine with the unfamiliar sight lines, wave action, depth perception challenges, and general distractions (fish and coral, but also air/depth gauges, etc.) to make garbage harder to spot than you might expect. Most of the garbage I've found is covered in algae and could easily be mistaken as part of the environment - until you pick it up out of the sand and see it for what it actually is.

The "clean" garbage is generally washed up closer to the shore still. This is usually either not visited (in the case of boat dives) or else there are other concerns going on (entering/exiting when shore diving).

The other problem is plastics and such that you can't really "see" - micro beads and the like - which just get swirled about until they end up locked in a hole or end up part of one of the garbage rafts...

 

[jgvergo]

As a California resident, I dive up and down the Pacific coast. There's rarely a dive (shore or boat) where I don't come out of the water without some bit of garbage in my pocket.

In my experience, it's easy to not see garbage when diving. The color shift that happens at even shallow depths combine with the unfamiliar sight lines, wave action, depth perception challenges, and general distractions (fish and coral, but also air/depth gauges, etc.) to make garbage harder to spot than you might expect. Most of the garbage I've found is covered in algae and could easily be mistaken as part of the environment - until you pick it up out of the sand and see it for what it actually is.

The "clean" garbage is generally washed up closer to the shore still. This is usually either not visited (in the case of boat dives) or else there are other concerns going on (entering/exiting when shore diving).

The other problem is plastics and such that you can't really "see" - micro beads and the like - which just get swirled about until they end up locked in a hole or end up part of one of the garbage rafts...

Dave, bottom line...do you feel that the garbage is causing significant damage to the reefs?

 

[DLHDesign]

Dave, bottom line...do you feel that the garbage is causing significant damage to the reefs?

I feel that garbage is not helping things. I don't consider it to be the crux of the problems the oceans are facing, but I also don't think that it's something we can ignore.

I've been diving for over 25 years. The oceans are not as healthy today as they were when I started diving. Climate change and human activities are responsible for that. The situation got as bad as it is because the general population didn't see the problem. That's changing - more and more people are aware that the oceans are struggling and want to do something about it (yay!). It's hard for the average person to have a direct impact, however (unless they are farmers using pesticides near a river or the like). But cutting down on plastic use - that's something anyone can do. And while it may not always be plastic that ends up in the ocean, some of it may very well be...

I don't really have an informed opinion on how the overall garbage volume is impacting the reefs specifically. Are the reefs being impacted by the garbage patches? I could see "yes, because the oceans are an ecosystem" as well as "no, because they are too far away". Is the garbage found in and among the reefs themselves a contributor to the problem? I can see both "yes, any garbage kills things and that hurts the delicate balance of things" and "no, the volume of garbage is (relatively) too small"...
What I do believe, for whatever it's worth, is that popular dive sites are not reflective of the state of the average reef. Dive sites usually have "stewards" that keep them clean - dive masters leading dive teams, locals who have a vested monetary interest in keeping them pristine, and some others. So I - personally - don't think it's a good idea to judge the state of things off those locations. It would be like standing in an oasis and extrapolating from the immediate environment the water content of the desert all around...

 

[Justfebreezeit]

I'm in SE Florida, and I dive a ton. I see multiple pieces of garbage every dive. Anything from fishing line to Styrofoam to grocery bags.

With that said, what damage it does, I am unsure.

 

[Paul B]

Do you dive here in New York? I have over 200 dives here and the Sound is covered in man made junk. You can't go anywhere without finding tires, shoes, plates, cables, ropes, shopping carts and Oldsmobiles.
Especially in the western Sound. Not only are there well over 2,000 wrecks but an unbelievable amount of barges and construction debris. Our visibility is measured in inches and you still find all that stuff. You can't go 50 yards without finding abandoned lobster traps and fishing poles. You can also get tangled in huge balls of fishing line along with the hooks, sinkers and lures that go along with it. Thats how I got all my fishing gear.
This is Man diving and not Sissy Caribbean diving where you won't find anything but the occasional plastic cup.
Off Hawaii I have found plenty of those and even off of Tahiti I found cans and bottles. But it makes it interesting.

 

[DLHDesign]

This thread made me think of your hammer, @Paul B. If only all junk in the ocean had as much benefit as that, we'd be okay... ;-)

 

[saltyhog]

Most of the diving sites I have dived in the Caribbean are will maintained because they are either protected marine parks or they dive operations and the locals realize their worth and keep them clean. In Cozumel it's extremely rare to see any type of waste. On the rare occasion it's encountered you better be fast if you're going to pick it up because the dive masters will have it in a flash.

In Hawaii, I've only dived on the Big Island and it was without any observable man made waste. The other islands I've been to I've only observed from shore or snorkeled and didn't see anything there either.

Most of the pictures I've seen are either large floating mats of plastic garbage far out to sea in the open ocean or in shallow water areas in third world countries. I would be willing to bet a very low percentage of plastic in the oceans comes from developed countries but instead from ones that lack the the infrastructure to take care of their waste.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

I would be willing to bet a very low percentage of plastic in the oceans comes from developed countries but instead from ones that lack the the infrastructure to take care of their waste.

I would argue the sheer volume developed countries contribute to plastics would out weigh any infrastructure to take care of it. Especially the U.S.

I've done a lot of traveling in central and south America and while the percentage of their plastic that ends up in the ocean might be higher, I'd wager that doesn't come near what developed nations contribute in plastics to the oceans.

Edit: Did a quick google and it seems China produces more ocean plastic waste than almost every other country combined. Terrible.

 

[recess62]

Do you dive here in New York? I have over 200 dives here and the Sound is covered in man made junk. You can't go anywhere without finding tires, shoes, plates, cables, ropes, shopping carts and Oldsmobiles.
Especially in the western Sound. Not only are there well over 2,000 wrecks but an unbelievable amount of barges and construction debris. Our visibility is measured in inches and you still find all that stuff. You can't go 50 yards without finding abandoned lobster traps and fishing poles. You can also get tangled in huge balls of fishing line along with the hooks, sinkers and lures that go along with it. Thats how I got all my fishing gear.
This is Man diving and not Sissy Caribbean diving where you won't find anything but the occasional plastic cup.
Off Hawaii I have found plenty of those and even off of Tahiti I found cans and bottles. But it makes it interesting.

Boy between diving and Reefing you are my god. I bend a knee to thee. Seriously aim would never dive LI sound. To cold and too much garbage

 

[jgvergo]

Do you dive here in New York? I have over 200 dives here and the Sound is covered in man made junk. You can't go anywhere without finding tires, shoes, plates, cables, ropes, shopping carts and Oldsmobiles.
Especially in the western Sound. Not only are there well over 2,000 wrecks but an unbelievable amount of barges and construction debris. Our visibility is measured in inches and you still find all that stuff. You can't go 50 yards without finding abandoned lobster traps and fishing poles. You can also get tangled in huge balls of fishing line along with the hooks, sinkers and lures that go along with it. Thats how I got all my fishing gear.
This is Man diving and not Sissy Caribbean diving where you won't find anything but the occasional plastic cup.
Off Hawaii I have found plenty of those and even off of Tahiti I found cans and bottles. But it makes it interesting.

No, I don't dive in the NY area, but I've fished for many years and I can attest to the fact that there is a lot of fishing gear in the water b/c I've hauled up a bunch while fishing!

 

[User1]

How often do you dive? Northern California diver here and I've come across Frisbees, plastic eating utensils, lawn chairs, various plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and even a big block Oldsmobile engine block. Most everything I have been able to surface with my air bag (I always carry one) but the engine block had to stay behind of course... Diving around the world I've come across lots of crap among the reefs. If there are boaters (sail, recreational, fishing, what have you) there is crap to be found. If you haven't seen it then maybe you are not paying attention and focusing on diving or the ride. That isn't a slam or meant disrespectful - just saying I have seen it in my travels (local or abroad). Humans are lazy...

My stance is a bit different also though because people have used the ocean has a dumping ground be it local governments, cruise ships, military, or other. What does one expect when you use the ocean for a landfill. Different topic, story, but I do see stuff diving. Not like I'm collecting a black garbage bag of crap every time I get wet. But I do usually bring something back to shore with me.

Maybe I'm just a horder or pack rat...

 

[DLHDesign]

but the engine block had to stay behind of course...

So... what you're saying is that you need a bigger lift bag? ;-)

 

[EmdeReef]

Do you dive here in New York? I have over 200 dives here and the Sound is covered in man made junk. You can't go anywhere without finding tires, shoes, plates, cables, ropes, shopping carts and Oldsmobiles.
Especially in the western Sound. Not only are there well over 2,000 wrecks but an unbelievable amount of barges and construction debris. Our visibility is measured in inches and you still find all that stuff. You can't go 50 yards without finding abandoned lobster traps and fishing poles. You can also get tangled in huge balls of fishing line along with the hooks, sinkers and lures that go along with it. Thats how I got all my fishing gear. [emoji1]
This is Man diving and not Sissy Caribbean diving where you won't find anything but the occasional plastic cup. [emoji57]
Off Hawaii I have found plenty of those and even off of Tahiti I found cans and bottles. But it makes it interesting. [emoji41]

If no bodies, you must be diving in the kids section