Biologist Tessa Code told Rotarians that individuals can make a difference.  During her talk, she described her work to research, assess, and remove marine debris through a project focused on isolated Hawaiian islands as part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fish Population and Marine Debris Division. "We research the alarming amount of plastics in the Pacific Ocean that is primarily made up of fishing equipment, nets, and shoreline plastics,” she said.  These items are petroleum-based and not biodegradable.  She described her work in Northwestern Hawaiian Islands --low lying sand islands that have accumulated an alarming amount of plastic debris. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are one of the most isolated places in the world and “covered in plastic absolutely everywhere.”

“Ocean currents and prevailing winds have accumulated what is called the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ that is actually three times the size of France,” she said.  It is estimated that 46% of the marine debris is made up of fishing gear.  NOAA began seriously looking at plastics in the ocean in 1996 to assess and prevent debris entanglements and marine life hazards.  The NOAA team removed two million pounds of fishing equipment, not including 52 tons of fishing nets.  “We conduct in-water surveys to identify and remove nets that have caused considerable damage to coral as well as sea life,” she continued.