Investigating Nearshore Surface Currents and Tidal Influences on Marine Debris Deposition on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi

Abstract

Marine debris poses great threats to coastal areas and is known to accumulate in large quantities along the shorelines of the Main Hawaiian Islands. However, debris accumulation is not deposited in an even manner. The results of this study show that, 1) seasonal mean forcing does not lead to accurate predictions of the distribution of marine debris along the shorelines of Oʻahu, and 2) surface currents are highly variable and time dependent. Due to high spatial and temporal variability, surface currents during specific events likely play a large role in the uneven spatial distribution of marine debris along the shorelines of Oʻahu.