CSA Vice President, Dr. Mark Fonseca will be representing CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) at the upcoming 6th International Marine Debris Conference (6IMDC) in San Diego, California.

As explained on the 6IMDC website regarding marine debris: “Our oceans are filled with items that do not belong there. Huge amounts of consumer plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, vessels, and other lost or discarded items enter the marine environment every day, making marine debris one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world's ocean and waterways. Marine debris or marine litter is defined as any persistent, manufactured or processed solid material discarded, disposed of, or abandoned in the marine and coastal environment. It is a global problem, and it is an everyday problem. There is no part of the world left untouched by debris and its impacts. Marine debris is a threat to our environment, navigation safety, the economy, and human health. Most of all, marine debris is preventable.”

With this in mind, in addition to learning about new issues concerning marine debris and the direction of current and future research, Dr. Fonseca will be seeking opportunities for collaboration, especially for programs involving the evaluation of coastal and deep ocean environments. Deep ocean information is particularly limited, as there is little known about those environments that may a significant repository of ocean debris.

CSA is an environmental consulting company that “punches above its weight” in designing, executing, and reporting on multi-disciplinary ocean science projects, both domestically and internationally. Consequently, CSA has extensive experience conducting peer-review quality scientific programs in environments that often prove challenging to others (e.g., deep ocean, developing countries, new technologies, etc.). Leveraging CSA’s understanding of science and regulatory needs domestically and worldwide provides opportunities for collaboration in advancing our knowledge of marine debris presence, concentrations, and pathways in the ocean environment.