Debris originating from both land and sea represents a major environmental threat, posing severe risks to marine life through entanglement and ingestion. Despite these critical dangers, comprehensive seafloor debris data for the Gulf of Thailand has historically been missing. To address this gap, SEAFDEC/TD conducted the region's first comprehensive survey, providing the essential baseline data required to establish long-term policies, facilitate ongoing monitoring, and implement targeted mitigation measures.

Regional Collaborative Research and Capacity Building for Monitoring and Reduction of Marine Debris from Fisheries in Southeast Asia is supported by the government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).