Appendix A Contaminants and Debris in the Marine Environment

Chemical pollutants include such things as petrochemicals, dissolved metals, fertilizers and organic pesticides. Chemical pollutants are most concentrated adjacent to heavily populated areas, industry, intensive agriculture and military activities. Consequently, the adverse impacts of marine pollution are most apparent in the nearshore environment (state and territorial waters) (Green 1997). The effects of marine pollution are likely to be much less severe in the open ocean pelagic environment (federal and international waters) where water is well-mixed and concentrations of pollutants are diluted.