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Marine debris

Fishing nets and lines wash up onto beaches or get entangled on coral reefs. Marine debris even affects remote locations, like the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. An estimated 52 metric tons of derelict fishing gear from commercial fisheries all over the Pacific float into the monument every year, and many of these nets become trapped and damage the extensive reefs. Photo credit: Kristen Kelly/NOAA