A quantification of the standing stock of macro-debris in Majuro lagoon and its effect on hard coral communities

► We document 234.24 items of macro-debris/km−2 in the shallow parts of Majuro lagoon. ► The majority of macro-debris was from household sources. ► Marine debris abundance peaked in areas of medium affluence. ► A significant negative correlation exists between the percent cover of hard corals and macro-debris. ► The diversity of coral species recorded at Majuro is low in a regional context.