Grayce P. Storey
Floatable debris is an eye-sore. It takes away from the beauty of beaches and shorelines, and create health hazards. The debris is made up of an assortment of waste materials. Plastic, metal, paper, wood are some debris that can be suspended in water or washed up on shore. Plastics are the largest category by number of floatable debris. Included in this category are bottles, bags, cups, plates, ropes, diapers, condoms, and polystyrene particles of all sizes.
The major sources of floating debris in the Long Island Sound are sewer over flows, storm water out falls, storm runoff and recreational beach and vessel litter.
Floatable debris presents a problem to marine environment, fish, birds, marine mammals, and turtles. These animals can be fatally entangled, especially in six pack rings, and they can ingest floatable debris which can cause suffocation or starvation.
In the past, medical waste was found on beaches all over the country. Although Long Island Sound has been exempted from that type of waste litter there is still a problem of litter washing upon beaches and shorelines.
Marine debris can cause beaches to close because of health hazards.