It brings home the fact beyond the marine debris issue this is first and foremost a human tragedy.
CNN: Japanese tsunami debris makes its way into Hawaiian birds
So as consumers the issue of marine debris is our problem, and not only that of the scientists.
Plastic makes up about 80 percent of all marine debris -- plastic shopping bags alone make up 10 percent.
Exploring the remote shoreline I was faced with a staggering accumulation of marine debris, and it broke my heart.
Between 700, 000 and 1 million seabirds are killed each year by marine debris such as discarded fishing line and plastic bags.
Marine debris consists of different plastics, wood, tennis shoes, and other trash.
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The wildlife fund organizes beach cleanups along Hawaii's shorelines and struggles to keep up with the marine debris, made up primarily of plastic.
CNN: Japanese tsunami debris makes its way into Hawaiian birds
The nonprofit Hawaii Wildlife Fund said marine debris has been a problem for years for the island state and tsunami debris has made things worse.
CNN: Japanese tsunami debris makes its way into Hawaiian birds
Jantz has been studying the impact of marine debris in fish.
CNN: Japanese tsunami debris makes its way into Hawaiian birds
"It's difficult to say exactly how much debris is expected to show up, and when and where, " said Dianna Parker, a spokeswoman with the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
The report pointed out that on or below every square mile of our ocean, there were 46, 000 pieces of floating marine debris and that the problem was particularly acute in certain areas.
Plastics affect our health and the lives of the estimated 1 million seabirds, 100, 000 marine mammals and sea turtles that die every year when they entangle themselves in marine debris or ingest it.
Approximately 60 to 80 percent of marine debris is plastic, the majority of which is as a result of our mindless use of one-life plastics, 60 percent of which is comprised of plastic bags, Styrofoam (used for take away foods), drinks bottles and their caps.
To get your mind around just how much marine rubbish washes up on our shores, consider this: A Marine Debris Survey at Cape Arnhem in northern Australia counted, identified and collected all the rubbish washed up on a 5 mile stretch of beach in 10 days.
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