Kids on the beach with plastic bottle trash in the foreground.

Marine Debris in the Pacific Northwest

This region includes Washington and Oregon

The Pacific Northwest region spans Oregon and Washington, with a combined tidal shoreline of 4,436 miles. Commercial and recreational fishing along the outer coast, in rivers, and inland waters results in lost fishing gear, which often requires removal by professionals fishers and divers. Most marine debris washing up along the sparsely populated coast of the Pacific Northwest comes from all across the Pacific Rim, a testimony to the global nature of the marine debris problem. It is volunteer effort that removes most of this marine debris. Marine debris removal is difficult in remote and largely inaccessible coastal areas in the region, especially in the fall and winter when storms bring more debris on the beaches, yet make removal much more challenging.

Regional Coordinator

Crab pots retrieved near Newport.

Regional Topics

Abandoned and Derelict Vessels

Information for states and territories in the Pacific Northwest region:

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

Last updated Mon, 08/19/2024 - 04:39 pm EDT