Strandline - secrets of the seashore

Flotsam and Jetsam

Marine litter is traditionally known as flotsam and jetsam. Flotsam is man-made material that has found its way into the sea, while jetsam has been deliberately put into the sea. Marine litter is not just unpleasant, it can also pose a real threat to wildlife - including sea birds, marine mammals and turtles. Some litter is also dangerous to humans and other terrestrial animals that visit the strandline. Beachcombing, nowadays a fascinating pastime, was once a way of life for coastal communities who collected useful items and reused them - recycling in action.

Seabirds and mammals
It has been estimated that one million birds and 100 000 marine mammals die each year in the world's oceans by eating or becoming entangled in plastic rubbish.
Where does litter come from?
Many different types of litter can be found on the seashore strandline. This includes rubbish left behind on the beach, thrown or washed overboard from vessels. Ocean currents can bring litter from other countries. Beach litter includes plastic packaging, glass, polystyrene, fishing nets, fishing line, cans, nappies, wood and paper.

TAKE ACTION NOW
While some of the rubbish on our beaches comes from ships and even other countries about 39% is actually left behind by people visiting the beach. Anything we tip down our drains can also end up in the sea.

Here are some simple ways we can all reduce pollution

1. When visiting the beach, take your litter home or place it in a rubbish bin.
2. Recycle house hold rubbish.
3. Reuse plastic bags
4. Do not tip paint or chemicals down the drain
5. Do not flush nappies or other items down the toilet
6. Use Choose environmentally friendly cleaning products

Look at the objects below, how long do you think it will take for them to naturally breakdown in the sea?
Move your mouse over the pictures to find the answer.

Cigarette lighter 200 years

Disposable nappy takes 500 years

Cigarette filter can take 1-2 years.

Foam 50 years.

Plastic bottle 150 years

Plastic bag 10 - 20 years

Aluminium can takes 80 - 200 years

Foam cup takes 50 years

Fishing net 600 years

Glass bottle - one million years

Rubber shoe sole 50 - 80 years

Newspaper
takes 6 weeks

Cigarette filters are the most common litter item on some tourist beaches. They may be eaten by seabirds, fish and turtles. The filters can cause poisoning or swell up and block the animals stomach.

Plastics
Plastics have proved to be useful materials, being cheap, strong and lightweight. They have replaced many of the more traditional types of packaging. It is these same characteristic that make them such a problem when they end up in the sea. Plastics take hundreds of years to break down - much longer than our own lifetimes.

Much of the man-made debris washed ashore today is plastic and has little value unless it can be recycled. It will not break down like wood and animal remains that will become part of the food chain. Plastics are also harmful to wildlife.

However, even when plastics disintegrate they may still be a problem. Scientists from Southampton and Plymouth Universities have discovered that microscopic fibres of plastic are present in the sea. A large proportion of these could be traced to man-made substances.

Beachcombing
Beachcombing can be a fun and rewarding way to learn about marine wildlife. However, in the past, seaside communities, especially on remote coastlines, found many uses for the things washed ashore.

Drift wood made a useful building material and poor quality wood was good for the fire. Nowadays, drift wood is a valuable resource for sculptures and environmental artists.

Seaweeds torn from the rocks by a storm make very good fertilizer and can be spread over the soil.

Oil pollution
Oil pollution can range from a minor oil spill to a full scale disaster. Crude oils may either float on the surface until it reaches the shore, smothering animals and seaweeds, or form solid balls of "tar".

Seabirds may be found on the beach covered in oil. This can kill sea birds, either by poisoning them when they preen or by stopping them from keeping warm.