Christina Trapani pulled a metallic-coated balloon, ribbon still attached, from the sandy beach on Fisherman’s Island — one of 22 that eventually were recovered from a quarter-mile of beach she and her team survey for Virginia’s marine debris program. Trapani, from the Virginia Aquarium’s Stranding Response Program, knows that for every balloon she extracts from the sand, hundreds more have made their way into rivers, coastal waters and open ocean — and into the stomachs of sea turtles and other marine animals that mistake them for a favorite food, jellyfish.
“People call these ‘Mylar’ balloons,” said Trapani, who has seen the impacts on sea turtles found in or near the Chesapeake Bay. “But really, they are plastic balloons with a metallic coating.”
While the impacts of balloons and their attachments on marine life are well-documented, the fate of the metal when it breaks down in the water is not known.
Laura McKay, director of Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management program, and her colleagues want to tackle the special problem of balloons as part of Virginia’s marine debris reduction program.
Balloons are often intentionally released, and with emotional meaning, according to the Alliance for Balloon Education. Balloons to celebrate achievements, or to remember departed loved ones, fly to the heavens, only to land someplace else, impacting scenery, wildlife and waterways.
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