RIASSUNTO
The accumulation and impacts in the ocean of marine debris generated by anthropogenic activities and aggravated by natural disasters are of growing concern, yet our existing data collection systems are rudimentary and cannot answer even fundamental questions. This is partly due to the diversity of the debris and the vastness of the ocean that complicate observations. The magnitude and complexity of the problem prompted NASA to sponsor a workshop to review existing and emerging technologies that could be capable to remotely survey the state of marine debris in the ocean. This workshop, held January 2016, brought together oceanographers, technologists, and experts in marine debris. In this paper we summarize the state-of-the-art of science and observations, and the stated goals of this workshop.