Nearly 2 Million Pieces of Garbage Litter the Bottom of Canada's Bay of Fundy

Nearly 2 million pieces of junk, mostly plastic and fishing gear, litter the floor of Canada's Bay of Fundy, a new study estimates.

Using video cameras to scan the sea floor between Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, researchers found 137 items of debris per third of a square mile, according to the study published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Using that estimate, the researchers calculated that 1.8 million pieces of garbage lie on the Bay of Fundy's sea floor.

More than half the debris, 51%, was plastic, 28% was fishing gear and 21% was other man-made materials, such as cable, metal and tires.

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Most of the debris was found within 5.5 miles of shore or on the edge of fishing areas. One area off Gardner Creek in New Brunswick had 12 garbage bags partially buried in sand, the study said. Across the bay in Nova Scotia, an area between Digby Neck and Victoria Beach was identified by fishermen as a dumping spot.

"I was struck by the amount of garbage bags that we were finding, and mostly partially covered, so it was hard to tell how long they've been there," study author Alexa Goodman told CBC News.

"A tire made of rubber or some metal is actually occupying space that would be benthic habitat for microorganisms and small invertebrates," Walker said.

The plastics also degrade into microplastics that can be ingested by marine creatures, he said.

"There is a potential for it to have negative impacts. ... A precautionary principle should kick in, and we should do our best to avoid this pollution," Walker said.

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"I think that everyone needs to see this. I think the public, I think policymakers and I think the [fishing] industry needs to be able to see this firsthand because images go a long way. I think this can be very valuable in helping improve policy," Goodman told CBC News.

She suggested the government and the fishing industry could establish a recycling system for fishing gear, and she favors efforts to ban single-use plastics, according to the Canadian Press.