Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Marine debris is one of the most pervasive problems plaguing the world’s oceans and waterways, and often presents a serious problem in the form of trash, litter, and fishing gear on our beaches and off-shore. The U.S. system of national marine sanctuaries is not immune to the issue.
Below is a cross-section of projects in our NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Sanctuaries and Marine Debris (pdf)
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Olympic Coast Cleanup - Each year, over 300 volunteers contribute thousands of hours to collection of marine debris from the 65-mile shoreline of Olympic National Park and Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
Olympic Coast Derelict Fishing Gear Pilot Project - This project is a multi-level project to assess and remove the derelict fishing gear (DFG) from this sanctuary consists of assessment, education/training, and eventual removal of DFG.
Papahanaumokuakea (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) Marine National Monument
The NOAA is working in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and State of Hawaii to manage this protected area. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is a partner with the National Marine Fisheries Service in debris removal efforts.
Marine Debris Removal in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands - Removal efforts have been ongoing since 1996 with over 560 tons of derelict net removed from shores and reefs in the NWHI. Additionally, there has been ongoing assessment and monitoring of marine debris accumulation, as well as efforts to enhance public outreach and education on the issue of marine debris in the Pacific region.
Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Derelict Fishing Gear in Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary: Surveys, Removal Protocol Development, and Removal Feasibility Assessment - This project expands surveys on Cordell Bank to document and characterizes the presence of derelict fishing gear on the bank, develops policies and procedures for its removal in partnership with a non-NOAA organization, the SeaDoc Society (University of California Davis Wildlife Health Center).
Marine Debris Monitoring and Education: A west coast partnership with at sea surveys and educators to use seabirds as indicators of plastic pollution - This project monitored debris in the Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary during at-sea surveys and expanded these surveys to include Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
This office is housed within NOAA's National Ocean Service.
