Marc Ward, founder of Sea Turtles Forever, discusses his work on micro-marine plastics impacting sea turtles and seabirds along the Oregon and Costa Rica coasts. He highlights the significance of his research on marine plastic debris, the technological innovations being used, and the collaboration with Dr. Michael Bunch for faster analysis. Through volunteer efforts and community awareness, STF aims to document and mitigate the effects of plastic pollution on marine life.

1. Marine Investigator Marc Ward
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The Catch Conservation Fund recently spoke with Marine Investigator Marc Ward, Founder
and Executive Director of Sea Turtles Forever (STF), about STF’s Micro-Marine Plastics
Response Team and what they are learning about plastic debris washing up on the beaches
of Oregon and Costa Rica:
The Catch Conservation Fund: Marc, thank you for taking time away from your research to speak
with us today. You are a pioneer in charting the effects of plastic pollution in the Eastern Pacific. When
did you start working on this issue?
Marc Ward: I started working with marine plastic debris in the 70's as a high-school biology project. I
guess I was a "natural" at being concerned with the condition of our environmental surroundings. Twelve
years ago I went to the tropics for a jungle experience, and that put me in one of the world’s largest
marine “plastic sinks,” a place that collects micro-marine plastic debris (MMPD) at an extremely high rate
due to ocean currents and landmass geography. Being a natural caretaker of the environment, I rallied
some friends, and we started removing massive amounts of marine plastic debris from our marine turtle
nesting sites.
The Catch Conservation Fund: You told me previously that one man in particular had a big influence
on you, and he was way ahead of his time when it came to MMPD and its effect on bird rookeries and
turtle nesting grounds. Would you mind telling our readers a little bit about him and his contribution to
the work you are doing now?
Marc Ward: Lance Ferris was a cop in Australia who started working with seabirds that had been injured
or were sick from plastics ingestion. Lance founded Australian Seabird Rescue and was doing a marine
turtle necropsy survey when I came in contact with him. He had data that showed 50% of the stranded
marine turtles necropsied in Australia had died from marine plastic ingestion. That was the smoking gun I
was looking for. I theorized that damage from plastic was going to take a large toll on our marine turtles,
and Lance had the proof that backed up my assessment of the situation.
The Catch Conservation Fund: In 2007, STF took on the Lance Ferris Challenge down in Costa Rica.
What was that all about?
Marc Ward: Every year we go clear debris from beaches where turtles nest on Punta Pargos. Lance had
just passed away, so we decided to document all of the plastic debris we picked up in his honor. The
original goal was to collect 1,000 pounds of marine plastic debris, but we far surpassed that, cataloguing
the first 1,000 pounds, and sending another 1,000 straight to the landfill.
The Catch Conservation Fund: What is the program you are managing on the Oregon coast now, and
what is the significance of your work there?
Marc Ward: We surveyed about 40 miles of coastline in Northern Oregon where the NW Pacific Gyre has
been making landfall. MMPD concentrates in what we call "plastic sinks.” We focus on the sinks with the
largest volume of plastic, which may be concentrated in sand up to six to eight inches below the surface.

2. The Catch Conservation Fund: What is the new high-tech solution you’ve been using on the beaches?
Marc Ward: We found the MMPD can be sifted out of the sand down to particles 0.5 mm, so we built
"stretcher sifters," big screens that sift large volumes rapidly and isolate the MMPD for analysis. We are
putting a face on the Gyre and are identifying its makeup at the micro level. By identifying the root
sources of the materials, we may be able to generate some policy alterations that could stop the
destruction of our marine environment.
The Catch Conservation Fund: Marc, your organization is dedicated to sea turtle conservation. Why
are you concentrating so hard on bird rookeries in the area?
Marc Ward: One hundred eleven seabird species have been documented dying from MMPD ingestion, so
seabirds are the most obvious losers, right along with our endangered marine turtles. We have more
seabirds on the Oregon coast than the California and Washington coasts combined, and by focusing on
the sinks that abut these rookeries we hope to increase our impact and keep the rookeries’ foraging
areas debris-free. This is a huge challenge.
The Catch Conservation Fund: Does cleaning the beaches in this way have any positive effects for
Leatherback turtles that forage for jellyfish there?
Marc Ward: We are finding that MMPD is one of the largest threats to our marine turtles so any MMPD
removed from the environment will benefit every species, but particularly marine turtles and seabirds.
The Catch Conservation Fund: Please tell us about your collaboration with Dr. Michael Bunch of
Clatsop College and the new MMPD analysis techniques he has developed.
Marc Ward: Dr. Bunch is head of biology at Clatsop College and has been working with me for eight
years developing the Punta Pargos Project in Costa Rica. He is also a bird expert and is very interested in
MMPD. He became interested in collaborating with me on the MMPD work when we were able to make
the seabird connection. Now he has dedicated his biology department to pushing this program forward. It
takes many hours of sorting and analysis to break down those huge MMPD samples, and Dr. Bunch is
developing ways to get that done faster in his lab by involving his student workforce.
The Catch Conservation Fund: How does this work differ from what you usually do on Punta Pargos?
Marc Ward: Our main focus on Punta Pargos is anti-poaching operations, but we also perform
continuing MMPD research. We are currently surveying a cove that collects monofilament fishing line at
an extremely high rate. Coves collect MMPD in strange ways: some coves collect shoes; some collect
bottles. This particular cove collects fishing line. It is hard to visualize the amounts I am talking about.
We collect the monofilament and record the number of "balls" at seven- to 10-day intervals. About 30
balls of monofilament make landfall every week on that stretch of beach. I have collected over 1,500
balls from our MMPD survey area so far this year, and this is unprecedented data. This place is also a
nesting beach for sea turtles, and that line is a severe threat to them as well. Where it makes landfall is
all contingent on currents and geographic makeup, and we are seeing correlations that are starting to
give us a better understanding of how those currents and land forms interact with the debris.
The Catch Conservation Fund: How are you funding all of this research you’ve been doing?
Marc Ward: Our MMPD work in Oregon is partially funded with in-kind donations from Gearhart Builders
Supply, where we got all the materials needed to build our sifters and other MMPD collection gear. But
STF has never had the funds to run MMPD operations because our marine turtle operations are always
under funded. New videos of our work have been posted on the web recently, so I hope that greater
awareness will help generate funds for all of our projects.

3. The Catch Conservation Fund: Since you have no budget for this, is anybody helping you out?
Marc Ward: It would take some time to come up with an exact number, but we must have around 100
people or more who volunteer for one aspect of our mission or another. These are people spread out all
over the globe who contribute time or effort in some form.
The Catch Conservation Fund: Where can our readers get more information about the conservation
work you are doing in both Oregon and Costa Rica?
Marc Ward: Our website has some information, and YouTube has a few videos showing our work in the
field. We are always behind in updating our site, so if anyone has specific questions that are not
answered there, please drop me a line at info@seaturtlesforever.com, and I will be happy to answer
your questions personally. With 12 years dedicated to this work, we are at the front of the pack as far as
collecting data and implementing management strategies.
The Catch Conservation Fund: Marc, we really appreciate you taking time out to speak with us today.
We hope our readers around the world can use this information to help make a difference at home.
Marc Ward: Thank you for this opportunity. Keep in mind, the only real way to reverse these trends is
for each and every one of us to make a conscious decision to reduce our consumption of plastic and to
make sure it is always disposed of properly.
Thank you for reading our interview with Marine Investigator Marc Ward. The Catch
Conservation Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your tax-deductible donation helps
protect endangered sea turtles and sharks around the world.
Find out more about global threats to the survival of our oceans and what you can do to help
by visiting the following websites:
www.pretoma.org
www.seaturtles.org
www.seaturtlesforever.org
www.migramar.org
www.cimad.org
www.tirn.net
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