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Ocean pollution facts

Short facts with their sources. We only state numbers that a named source publishes.

Oil

About 134 million gallons of oil were released into the Gulf of Mexico by Deepwater Horizon (2010), over 87 days. NOAA Office of Response and Restoration: Deepwater Horizon case study
Tanker spills over 7 tonnes have fallen by more than 90% since the 1970s. ITOPF: Oil tanker spill statistics
The largest tanker spill on record, Atlantic Empress (1979, about 287,000 tonnes), was off Tobago in the Caribbean. ITOPF: Oil tanker spill statistics
Oil ruins the water repellency of feathers and the insulation of fur, so oiled birds and mammals can die of cold. NOAA Ocean Service: How does oil impact marine life?

About 1,478 containers were lost at sea in 2025, out of about 280 million transported; one incident caused 640 of them. World Shipping Council: Containers Lost at Sea, 2026 update
Since 1 January 2026, ships must report lost containers to nearby ships, the nearest coastal State and the flag State. IMO: shipping rules in force from 1 January 2026 (mandatory lost-container reporting)

Thousands of abandoned and derelict vessels litter US ports and waterways. NOAA Marine Debris Program: Abandoned and Derelict Vessels InfoHub (state contacts)
The Nairobi Convention makes shipowners responsible for removing hazardous wrecks. IMO: Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks

4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic entered the ocean from land in 2010. Jambeck et al. (2015), Plastic waste inputs from land into the ocean, Science 347:768-771
About 11 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, and this could nearly triple by 2040 without action. Pew Charitable Trusts & SYSTEMIQ (2020): Breaking the Plastic Wave
Ocean 'garbage patches' are not floating islands; most of the debris is small pieces. NOAA Ocean Service: What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Microplastics are plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm. NOAA Ocean Service: What are microplastics?

MARPOL Annex V prohibits ships from discharging plastics into the sea. IMO: MARPOL convention

Red tide toxins in the air can cause coughing and eye irritation, and contaminated shellfish can cause neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. US CDC: Harmful algal blooms and your health
Satellites can flag possible blooms from chlorophyll anomalies, but only water samples show whether a bloom is toxic. Stumpf et al. (2003), Monitoring Karenia brevis blooms in the Gulf of Mexico using satellite ocean color imagery, Harmful Algae 2:147-160

Oil: satellite radar slicks (SkyTruth Cerulean, worldwide), NOAA analyst reports and NOAA IncidentNews (US waters). Cerulean NESDIS MPSR IncidentNews
Containers, derelict vessels and debris: reported incidents (NOAA, US) and public reports.
Algal blooms: Florida FWC samples (confirmed) and a satellite chlorophyll anomaly for the Gulf of Mexico (possible only).
Drift: ocean currents and wind, 7 model runs per item, stopping at the coast to estimate landing spots. Updated a few times a day.

Do not touch oil, tar balls, dead animals or unknown containers; keep children and pets away; never board a derelict vessel.

Anywhere at sea: Call the local coast guard on VHF channel 16 or your country's emergency number. Give position, time, what you see, and photos if safe.
United States (incl. Puerto Rico, USVI, Gulf coast): Oil or chemical spills: US Coast Guard National Response Center, 1-800-424-8802 (24 h), nrc.uscg.mil. Derelict vessels: state contacts in NOAA's ADV InfoHub.
Florida red tide / fish kills: FWC fish kill hotline 1-800-636-0511, or report online at myfwc.com. Health questions: Florida Poison Information Center 1-800-222-1222.
Mexico: Emergencies 911. Navy (SEMAR) for pollution at sea; environmental complaints to PROFEPA.
Brazil: Maritime emergencies 185 (Marinha do Brasil). Environmental reports: IBAMA (Linha Verde).
Chile: Maritime emergencies 137 (DIRECTEMAR, free, nationwide).
Argentina: Nautical emergencies 106 (Prefectura Naval Argentina).
Colombia, Peru, Central America and others: Contact the national maritime authority / coast guard (e.g. DIMAR in Colombia, DICAPI in Peru) or the local port captain.
Also on this site: Use Report an incident on the map. Reports appear marked unverified. This site does not alert authorities for you.