When Disaster Brings Debris madison.piascik Fri, 09/11/2026 - 11:27

When thinking of the marine debris issue, small items usually come to mind, such as plastic bottles, food packaging, and other commonly littered items. However, everyday trash is only one part of the problem. Severe incidents can turn everyday items into hazards. Understanding these realities, the NOAA Marine Debris Program works with communities to prepare for natural and human-made disasters, coordinates with response agencies during events, and supports disaster debris removal.

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Tags emergency response MDP 20 Years

When Disaster Brings Debris madison.piascik Fri, 09/11/2026 - 11:27

When thinking of the marine debris issue, small items usually come to mind, such as plastic bottles, food packaging, and other commonly littered items. However, everyday trash is only one part of the problem. Severe incidents can turn everyday items into hazards. Understanding these realities, the NOAA Marine Debris Program works with communities to prepare for natural and human-made disasters, coordinates with response agencies during events, and supports disaster debris removal.

• Read more about When Disaster Brings Debris

Tags emergency response MDP 20 Years

Local Action For A National Problem madison.piascik Tue, 09/08/2026 - 14:37

Sprawling rivers, winding lakes, and vast miles of ocean and shoreline. Marine environments connect us all from remote communities to the most populous regions. Recognizing that need, the NOAA Marine Debris Program works within communities to build relationships and engage with regional experts. Over the last two decades, this has resulted in the creation of 16 marine debris action plans—collaborative road maps for stakeholders across a state or region to address marine debris.

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Surveying Debris on Our Shores madison.piascik Wed, 08/19/2026 - 15:56

How much marine debris is along our nation’s shorelines, and how is it changing over time? From Alaska to the Caribbean, scientists are surveying hundreds of shorelines to better understand marine debris across the United States and its territories. In 2024, the NOAA Marine Debris Program launched the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey, a shoreline survey effort spanning 620 sites in 10 pre-defined regions incorporating every U.S. coastal state and inhabited territory. The results will provide information to help communities identify debris hotspots, target cleanup and prevention efforts, and track changes in the amounts, types, and distribution of marine debris. With the first year of field surveys well underway and a second year planned, here is an update on what’s happening and how you can follow along.

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Tags MDP 20 Years shoreline monitoring monitoring MDMAP

Surveying Debris on Our Shores madison.piascik Wed, 08/19/2026 - 15:56

How much marine debris is along our nation’s shorelines, and how is it changing over time? From Alaska to the Caribbean, scientists are surveying hundreds of shorelines to better understand marine debris across the United States and its territories. In 2024, the NOAA Marine Debris Program launched the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey, a shoreline survey effort spanning 620 sites in 10 pre-defined regions incorporating every U.S. coastal state and inhabited territory. The results will provide information to help communities identify debris hotspots, target cleanup and prevention efforts, and track changes in the amounts, types, and distribution of marine debris. With the first year of field surveys well underway and a second year planned, here is an update on what’s happening and how you can follow along.

• Read more about Surveying Debris on Our Shores

Tags MDP 20 Years shoreline monitoring monitoring MDMAP

E.C. Hogg, a TRAP program participant, pulls up a derelict crab pot in February 2025. (Photo credit: John Wallace, William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School).

In This Issue Special Funding Opportunity NOAA Science Seminar Removing Lost Crab Traps Is Helping Map the Chesapeake Bay BoatUS Foundation's Turning the Tide Summit Back to School Quick Links Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
Monitoring Toolbox
In Your Region
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse Monitoring Toolbox

The NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) has an updated Monitoring Toolbox! Check out the new video tutorials and database visualization tools, along with refreshed guides and field datasheets. The Monitoring Toolbox contains all of the resources you need to get started.

Learn More

Want to hear more from the NOAA MDP? Follow us on: @NOAAMarineDebris @NOAADebris @NOAADebris Website & Blog Special Funding Opportunity: Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund

A derelict vessel and associated debris in Steinhatchee, FL after Hurricane Idalia in September 2023 (Photo Credit: NOAA).

With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is seeking proposals under the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund. NFWF will award up to $11 million in grants to support projects that assess and remove marine debris in communities in Florida, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, and South Carolina impacted by Hurricanes Idalia, Helene, Milton, and Typhoon Mawar from 2023-2024 and improve those impacted coastal environments. Full proposals are due on October 21, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT. An informational webinar for potential applicants will be held by NFWF on Thursday, August 20, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT. 

For more information and to register for the webinar, please visit the NFWF website.

Closing the gap on watershed sources and sinks of debris in the Great Lakes

Researchers from the Rochester Institute of Technology removing debris collected from a LittaTrap device installed in a storm drain in Rochester, New York (Photo Credit: NOAA).

On August 18, the NOAA Science Seminar Series will feature research supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Christy Tyler, Ph.D., and Matthew Hoffman, Ph.D., from the Rochester Institute of Technology will present results on debris input, transport, and degradation in the Lake Ontario watershed. Data was collected using LittaTraps deployed across storm drains in Rochester and Brighton, New York over the course of two years. Tune in to learn more about how stormwater data shows how marine debris enters the Great Lakes. 

Register for the webinar.

How Removing Lost Crab Traps Is Helping Map the Chesapeake Bay

E.C. Hogg (front) and Ralph Bonniville (back), both TRAP participants, gather bathymetric data (Photo credit: John Wallace, William & Mary’s VIMS & Batten School).

A partnership between NOAA, William & Mary's VIMS & Batten School, and Chesapeake Bay crabbers is transforming routine vessel activity, including crab trap removal efforts, into a new source of bathymetric data. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is supporting commercial crabbers with side-scan sonar technology to locate and remove lost and abandoned crab traps. Data collected during those recovery efforts is now helping researchers map and better understand the Chesapeake Bay.  

Learn more about this exciting data partnership.

BoatUS Foundation’s Turning the Tide Summit: Registration is Open

Register for the Turning the Tide Summit hosted by the BoatUS Foundation.

Registration is now open for the Turning the Tide Summit hosted by the BoatUS Foundation on December 6-9, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference will gather environmental agency staff, policymakers, industry leaders, boating enthusiasts, and others to discuss challenges and lessons learned while managing abandoned and derelict vessels and sustainable disposal solutions for boating related waste, including fiberglass and shrink-wrap. This will be a hybrid event with an option for virtual participation.

Register online on the BoatUS Foundation website.

Back to School Season is Here!

Check out the back to school resources.

As you prepare your classroom and check off your back to school shopping list, the NOAA Marine Debris Program has resources for both students and educators to prepare for the school year ahead. Educators can search through over 200 marine debris curricula, activities, and lesson plans. Our online resources are a must-have for this back to school season! 

Check out back to school resources.

 

Marine Debris Program | Office of Response and Restoration | National Ocean Service | NOAA  2026

1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Contact us at marinedebris.web@noaa.gov

Volunteers aboard a skiff head towards the shoreline to clean up debris on Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands, California (Photo Credit: NOAA Marine Debris Program).

In This Issue 20 Years of Working Together for a Debris-Free Future Industry Voices Support Removal of Abandoned Fishing Gear Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris Quick Links Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
Monitoring Toolbox
In Your Region
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse Monitoring Toolbox

The NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) has an updated Monitoring Toolbox! Check out the new video tutorials and database visualization tools, along with refreshed guides and field datasheets. The Monitoring Toolbox contains all of the resources you need to get started.

Learn More

Want to hear more from the NOAA MDP? Follow us on: @NOAAMarineDebris @NOAADebris @NOAADebris Website & Blog Many Hands Make Light Work: 20 Years of Working Together for a Debris-Free Future

Jason Philibotte, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, stands near retrieved crab trap debris while on a site visit with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Nationwide TRAP Program (Photo Credit: NOAA).

Twenty years ago, the NOAA Marine Debris Program was established as the U.S. Government’s lead to reduce and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris on our ocean and Great Lakes. Jason Philibotte, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, reflects on the experiences that inspired his commitment to addressing marine debris and the partnerships that have advanced solutions over the past 20 years. He looks back on the program's accomplishments, shares lessons learned from witnessing marine debris impacts firsthand, and considers the work still ahead.

Follow along and celebrate two decades of collaborative action.

Industry Voices Support Removal of Abandoned Fishing Gear

A derelict crab trap is removed from the York River, Virginia (Photo Credit: John Wallace/VIMS).

Firsthand perspectives from industry workers help show how marine debris affects jobs and livelihoods in coastal communities. With support from a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the William and Mary’s Batten School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Nationwide Trap Removal, Assessment, and Prevention (TRAP) Program is addressing derelict fishing gear across the country. The program removes abandoned fishing traps while collecting data on where and why gear is lost. Through subgrants, the Nationwide TRAP Program supports regional efforts to remove traps and prevent future loss.

Watch the video created by Green Fin Studio, in partnership with VIMS.

Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris

Volunteers scour the shoreline for marine debris on Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands, California (Photo Credit: NOAA Marine Debris Program).

Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protect some of California’s richest coastal and marine habitats. Keeping these remote islands and surrounding waters free of marine debris requires extensive collaboration among volunteers, conservation organizations, and local lobster fishers who help recover debris from difficult-to-access shorelines. With support from a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is working with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Island Packers, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, California State University Channel Islands Santa Rosa Island Research Station, and other regional groups to remove large and hard-to-reach marine debris from the Channel Islands. Volunteer cleanup crews have removed over 18,168 pounds of large debris, including lost fishing gear, from the islands so far. More than 150 volunteers have contributed to over 10 cleanups across Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands.

Learn more about cleaning up the Channel Islands.

 

Marine Debris Program | Office of Response and Restoration | National Ocean Service | NOAA  2026

1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Contact us at marinedebris.web@noaa.gov

Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris madison.piascik Tue, 07/07/2026 - 11:08

Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protect some of California’s richest coastal and marine habitats. Keeping these remote islands and surrounding waters free of marine debris requires extensive collaboration among volunteers, conservation organizations, and local lobster fishers who help recover debris from difficult-to-access shorelines. With support from a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is working with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Island Packers, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, California State University Channel Islands Santa Rosa Island Research Station, and other regional groups to remove large and hard-to-reach marine debris from the Channel Islands. Volunteer cleanup crews have removed over 18,168 pounds of large debris, including lost fishing gear, from the islands so far. More than 150 volunteers have contributed to over 10 cleanups across Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands.

• Read more about Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris

Tags MDP 20 Years Large Scale Marine Debris Removal removal California

Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris madison.piascik Tue, 07/07/2026 - 11:08

Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protect some of California’s richest coastal and marine habitats. Keeping these remote islands and surrounding waters free of marine debris requires extensive collaboration among volunteers, conservation organizations, and local lobster fishers who help recover debris from difficult-to-access shorelines. With support from a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is working with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Island Packers, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, California State University Channel Islands Santa Rosa Island Research Station, and other regional groups to remove large and hard-to-reach marine debris from the Channel Islands. Volunteer cleanup crews have removed over 18,168 pounds of large debris, including lost fishing gear, from the islands so far. More than 150 volunteers have contributed to over 10 cleanups across Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands.

• Read more about Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris

Tags MDP 20 Years Large Scale Marine Debris Removal removal California

Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris madison.piascik Tue, 07/07/2026 - 11:08

Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protect some of California’s richest coastal and marine habitats. Keeping these remote islands and surrounding waters free of marine debris requires extensive collaboration among volunteers, conservation organizations, and local lobster fishers who help recover debris from difficult-to-access shorelines. With support from a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is working with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, Island Packers, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, California State University Channel Islands Santa Rosa Island Research Station, and other regional groups to remove large and hard-to-reach marine debris from the Channel Islands. Volunteer cleanup crews have removed over 18,168 pounds of large debris, including lost fishing gear, from the islands so far. More than 150 volunteers have contributed to over 10 cleanups across Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and Anacapa Islands.

• Read more about Protecting the Living Waters of the Channel Islands from Marine Debris

Tags MDP 20 Years Large Scale Marine Debris Removal removal California

Many Hands Make Light Work: 20 Years of Working Together for a Debris-Free Future madison.piascik Thu, 06/25/2026 - 14:01

Twenty years ago, the NOAA Marine Debris Program was established as the U.S. Government’s lead to reduce and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris on our ocean and Great Lakes. Jason Philibotte, Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, reflects on the experiences that inspired his commitment to addressing marine debris and the partnerships that advanced solutions over the past 20 years. He looks back on the program's accomplishments, shares lessons learned from witnessing marine debris impacts firsthand, and considers the work still ahead.

• Read more about Many Hands Make Light Work: 20 Years of Working Together for a Debris-Free Future

Tags MDP 20 Years

Celebrate National Ocean Month with the NOAA Marine Debris Program (Photo Credit: Andrew Sullivan-Hawkins/ Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project).

In This Issue June is National Ocean Month Celebrating 20 Years of the NOAA Marine Debris Program One Year of Removing and Preventing TRAPS Across the Nation Puget Sound Boat Owners Turn-In Vessels Now Open: Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest Quick Links Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
Monitoring Toolbox
In Your Region
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse Monitoring Toolbox

The NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) has an updated Monitoring Toolbox! Check out the new video tutorials and database visualization tools, along with refreshed guides and field datasheets. The Monitoring Toolbox contains all of the resources you need to get started.

Learn More

Want to hear more from the NOAA MDP? Follow us on: @NOAAMarineDebris @NOAADebris @NOAADebris Website & Blog June is National Ocean Month!

An aerial view of Papahānaumokuākea (Photo Credit: Andrew Sullivan-Hawkins/ Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project).

Celebrate National Ocean Month with the NOAA Marine Debris Program by taking action in your community. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to marine debris, and communities around the country are affected by marine debris in different ways. Beach-side Floridian areas may be concerned with abandoned vessels, while in coastal regions throughout the Northeast, lost fishing gear may be more prevalent. If you live inland, trash in the ocean and Great Lakes may not be directly visible, but your community may still have a role in creating the waste that becomes marine debris. Finding solutions that work locally makes the fight against marine debris more effective. By working together as a community, we can have a larger impact. 

Check out these ideas on how to help!

Celebrating 20 Years of the NOAA Marine Debris Program

A volunteer cleaning up plastic water bottles during the 2016 an International Coastal Cleanup hosted on Kingman Island, Washington D.C. (Photo Credit: NOAA).

This year, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is celebrating its 20th anniversary of cleaning our coasts. As we mark this milestone, we are reflecting on two decades of collaboration, progress, and shared commitment to addressing marine debris across the United States and U.S. Territories. This anniversary also offers an opportunity to recognize our partners, including the entire marine debris community, educators, students, families, and volunteers, whose contributions have helped shape the program’s impact over the past 20 years. We invite you to follow the campaign as we highlight stories from the program over the years, showcase current ongoing efforts, and look ahead to a future where our global ocean and its coasts are free from the impacts of marine debris. 

To follow the campaign, please visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program website.

One Year of Removing and Preventing TRAPS Across the Nation

Fishers participating in Oyster Recovery Partnership’s cleanup efforts pull a hooked derelict crab pot onboard their vessel in Baltimore County, Maryland (Photo Credit: Oyster Recovery Partnership/VIMS).

With support from a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, William and Mary’s Batten School and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Nationwide TRAP Program (Trap Removal, Assessment, and Prevention) is tackling derelict fishing gear across the country. This program detects and removes derelict fishing traps, including lost or abandoned crab and lobster gear, while gathering data to help reduce future loss. From Maryland to Santa Barbara to Florida, teams are identifying, retrieving, and recycling lost traps. In its first year, 11 projects were funded, and the impact is already visible in coastal waterways.

Check out the successes and see the inspiring stories from Round One TRAP teams, captured by Green Fin Studio.

29 Abandoned Boats Removed, Deconstructed, and Recycled from the Puget Sound

Vessels that were voluntarily turned in by their owners awaiting deconstruction and disposal at The Landings at Colony Wharf (Photo Credit: NOAA Marine Debris Program).

The Washington Department of Natural Resources, with 2024 funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, is removing derelict vessels from the Puget Sound and supporting the prevention of boat abandonment through their voluntary Vessel Turn-In Program. This program provides Washington boat owners with an alternative to abandonment, helping to prevent derelict vessels and associated pollutants from harming state aquatic lands. Focusing on early intervention and empowering boat owners to dispose of unwanted vessels responsibly prevents costly removals later. 

Learn more about this project and check out a glimpse into the Vessel Turn-In Program.

Now Open: Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest!

Bottlenose dolphin with head and dorsal fin above the water’s surface in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (Photo Credit: NOAA).

Join NOAA this summer across the National Marine Sanctuary System - from sea to shining sea. Each year, as part of national "Get into Your Sanctuary" summer activities, we invite photographers to share striking images that capture wildlife, seascapes, maritime heritage, and meaningful connections to these special places through our Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest. The contest runs from May 22 to September 7.

Learn more about the contest and submit your entries on the Get In Your Sanctuary website.

 

Marine Debris Program | Office of Response and Restoration | National Ocean Service | NOAA  2026

1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Contact us at marinedebris.web@noaa.gov

Keeping Puget Sound Clean: 29 Abandoned Boats Removed, Deconstructed, and Recycled madison.piascik Wed, 05/27/2026 - 12:25

The Washington Department of Natural Resources, with 2024 funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program, is removing derelict vessels from the Puget Sound and supporting the prevention of boat abandonment through their voluntary Vessel Turn-In Program. This program provides Washington boat owners with an alternative to abandonment, helping to prevent derelict vessels and associated pollutants from harming state aquatic lands. Focusing on early intervention and empowering boat owners to dispose of unwanted vessels responsibly prevents costly removals later.

• Read more about Keeping Puget Sound Clean: 29 Abandoned Boats Removed, Deconstructed, and Recycled

Tags Large Scale Marine Debris Removal Pacific Northwest removal ADVs

Keeping Puget Sound Clean: 29 Abandoned Boats Removed, Deconstructed, and Recycled madison.piascik Wed, 05/27/2026 - 12:25

The Washington Department of Natural Resources, with 2024 funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program, is removing derelict vessels from the Puget Sound and supporting the prevention of boat abandonment through their voluntary Vessel Turn-In Program. This program provides Washington boat owners with an alternative to abandonment, helping to prevent derelict vessels and associated pollutants from harming state aquatic lands. Focusing on early intervention and empowering boat owners to dispose of unwanted vessels responsibly prevents costly removals later.

• Read more about Keeping Puget Sound Clean: 29 Abandoned Boats Removed, Deconstructed, and Recycled

Tags Large Scale Marine Debris Removal Pacific Northwest removal ADVs