What Is Marine Debris?

A cartoon crash course

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Projects: U.S. Ocean Conservation & Conservation Science

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What Is Marine Debris?

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Marine debris is all the manmade stuff that ends up in the oceans—from soda cans and plastic bottles to sunken ships. There’s marine debris in every ocean on Earth, and all that junk can kill and injure sea life, impede navigation, leach chemicals, and even end up in our food.

Nationally syndicated cartoonist Jim Toomey, creator of Sherman's Lagoon, has joined forces with The Pew Charitable Trusts to illustrate "marine debris" and other terms associated with our oceans.

Watch the full ocean terms video series.

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Article January 27, 2016

A Visual Glossary of Ocean Terminology

Cartoon crash course
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bycatch
Article January 27, 2016

Ocean conservation is essential but sometimes difficult to understand. Pew joined forces with cartoonist Jim Toomey, the artist behind “Sherman’s Lagoon,” on 10 animated videos that explain the complicated concepts that guide efforts to protect our oceans.

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