Understanding Research-Based Pollution in National Marine Sanctuaries

Although research and monitoring equipment is vital to our understanding of marine ecosystems, a growing number of expendable ocean instrumentation continues to contribute to our ocean’s plastic pollution. Informally known as the “ocean internet of things,” this rapidly expanding web of interconnected, and often disposable, monitoring equipment has presented a growing problem within national marine sanctuaries as research and conservation efforts clash. In order to understand the level of plastic pollution generated through unretrieved scientific instrumentation in West Coast national marine sanctuaries, the sanctuary research permit database was used to conduct a meta-analysis on the amount of plastic deposited. Instrumentation deposit hotspots and instrument use cases were estimated from permit application data between 2013 and 2023. Additionally, reporting rate and gear recovery rates were estimated from the data provided in final permit reports from projects that used scientific sensors. This study aims to help reduce microplastic and plastic pollution within sanctuary boundaries by identifying possible marine equipment prospects for ocean-biodegradable plastic alternatives. It also aims to raise awareness about the amount of plastic pollution generated from research activities and to inform future national marine sanctuary permit policies regarding non-degradable marine deposits.

Key Words

marine debris, plastic discharges, marine deposits, ocean-biodegradable plastic, expendable scientific instrumentation, national marine sanctuary permits, OSPREY database, expendable scientific equipment, ocean plastic