Remove, Recycle, Restore: Salish Synergy in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Shanelle.Naone Wed, 08/31/2022 - 11:00

In recent years, increasing amounts of marine debris littering the shores of Washington’s wilderness beaches have caused concern in the conservation community. Salish Synergy: Cross-Border Debris Removal and Recycling, an ambitious new project led by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, aims to remove 35,000 pounds of marine debris from Washington’s outer coast annually.  

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Eliminating Threats of Derelict Crab Pots in Washington’s Salish Sea Shanelle.Naone Wed, 08/10/2022 - 11:00

The wonders of Washington’s Salish Sea are easy to find. A day exploring here can include roaming a shoreline digging for clams while one of the region's many snowcapped mountains loom in the background, catching salmon, pulling up pots full of Dungeness crab, or traversing the majestic San Juan Archipelago. Yet, underneath the waters of the Salish Sea lies a hidden threat to the ecosystem; lost and abandoned fishing nets and crab pots on the seafloor that degrade marine habitat and entangle and capture marine life with no one there to harvest them. Living in this area comes with the responsibility to protect its beauty and the resources it provides.

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Protecting Pacific Northwest Shorelines: A Committed Community Shanelle.Naone Wed, 08/03/2022 - 11:00

Oregon and Washington contain some of the most remote and ecologically diverse coasts in the continental United States. These waters teem with fish and marine mammals, and support tourism and vital subsistence, commercial, and recreational fisheries. Marine debris can be harmful to these waters and all that rely on it. These threats could be derelict fishing gear that entangles and catches marine life, or it could also be large debris such as derelict vessels that have sunk or been improperly disposed of. The NOAA Marine Debris Program partners with community members and organizations in the Pacific Northwest who are committed to preventing and removing these and other types of marine debris.

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The Makah Tribe Meets the Challenge of Marine Debris Shanelle.Naone Tue, 11/23/2021 - 23:31

Native Americans have lived on these lands since time immemorial. Their roots are deeply embedded in the land, waters, and genealogy of this place. During National Native American Heritage Month we celebrate the countless contributions of Native peoples, their important history, present perseverance, and future. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to work with indigenous communities in stewardship efforts that help to understand and reduce the impacts of marine debris. One such project, with the Makah Tribe, focused on the removal of derelict fishing gear within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, along the northwest corner of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and the Makah Tribe’s Usual and Accustomed Fishing Area.

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2021 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan Released neil.mccoy Wed, 10/06/2021 - 11:00

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the 2021 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the Marine Debris Program and federal and state governments, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia, and represents a partner-led effort to guide marine debris actions in Washington State for the next two years.

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Lives and Livelihoods Disrupted by Marine Debris neil.mccoy Mon, 06/07/2021 - 11:00

For some, marine debris may simply be an unsightly inconvenience, but for many people around the world it is a critical problem that can affect all aspects of life. This is particularly true for indigenous communities, whose deep understanding of and reliance on the natural environment and ocean, for subsistence, cultural connection, recreation, and economic opportunities, makes them especially aware of the damaging effects of marine debris. Community regional expertise on the impacts of marine debris and nuanced relationships with the environment shape many NOAA Marine Debris Program-supported projects around the country.

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Rewriting the All Too Common Story of Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Shanelle.Naone Thu, 06/03/2021 - 11:00

Abandoned and derelict vessels are a common story and the all-too-common ending is that  marinas end up burdened with the responsibility for them. The longer they sit, the more they deteriorate, taking up valuable space and becoming a safety hazard. Despite the best of intentions, many boats can end up as abandoned and derelict vessels in our coastal, estuarine, and river environments. With the help of the NOAA Marine Debris Program removal grant and partnerships with marinas in the Certified Clean Marina Program, the Oregon State Marine Board hopes to interrupt this common narrative.

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Cascadia Cleanup: A Community Response to Marine Debris in the Pacific Northwest Shanelle.Naone Tue, 06/01/2021 - 11:00

The coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest are known for their combination of remote beauty and rich marine life, providing the foundation for multiple industries. This unique area spans over 4,400 miles of coastline and falls within the Cascadia bioregion. Despite all this natural beauty, lurking below the waves and along the rocky and sandy shores of Oregon and Washington a common issue can be found: marine debris. Thankfully, our partners in the Pacific Northwest are working hard every day to address marine debris through prevention, research, removal, and collaboration.

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Partnering with Native Communities to Take On Marine Debris Shanelle.Naone Thu, 11/12/2020 - 10:00

Indigenous communities have a deep understanding of and relationship with the natural environment, which has fostered expert and nuanced traditional ecological knowledge, and shaped cultural practices and identity. NOAA recognizes the importance of indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge for understanding the environment, adapting to environmental change, and improving the health of environments that we all depend on. The Marine Debris Program (MDP) is proud to work with indigenous communities in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to understand and reduce the impacts of marine debris through projects that prevent and remove marine debris. 

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The Washington Coast Five-Year Balloon Project jennifer.simms Mon, 12/23/2019 - 19:19

It is ironic and sad that balloons, meant to convey a message of compassion, love, and best wishes, become anything but when they are lost and become marine debris. Balloons may be ingested by marine animals, their ribbons can entangle marine life, and when they are deposited on the beach, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of miles from where they were first lost, they add to the marine debris burden on the beach ecology.

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The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Marine Debris Removal Project in Similk Bay jennifer.simms Wed, 10/09/2019 - 11:40

It is estimated that every year, over 10,000 crab pots are lost in the Puget Sound. The lost pots trap and kill crabs and other marine animals, degrade the sea floor upon which they rest, and interfere with other fishing.

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Updated Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan Released Posted Thu, 09/19/2019 - 09:02

The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is pleased to share the biennial update to the 2017-2023 Oregon Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan). This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the MDP and regional partners, including representatives from governments, tribes, non-profits, academia, and the private sector. It includes partners’ shared goals, strategies to achieve those goals, and corresponding actions to reduce marine debris in Oregon.

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A Big Problem with Many Solutions: Derelict Crab Pots in Washington State Posted Wed, 07/17/2019 - 09:18

They say that too many cooks spoil the broth, but when the broth is derelict crab pots in Washington State, the more cooks the better. Over 10,000 crab pots are estimated to be lost annually in the Puget Sound alone, and  many more are lost in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and along the Pacific Coast.

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Monitoring for Clean Beaches Posted Wed, 06/26/2019 - 11:29

Put on your flip-flops and let’s head to the beach! This week we are celebrating Clean Beaches Week and all of the great work our Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) participants are doing.

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Tags MDMAP monitoring shoreline monitoring Pacific Northwest

Makah Tribe Works to Address Derelict Crab Pots and Lines Posted Fri, 04/26/2019 - 12:34

Winter storms are fierce and powerful along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, capable of moving fishing gear far from where it was deployed. The peak of the Dungeness crab season is in the dead of winter, coinciding with storm season, a major contributor for gear loss. Lost crab pots and other derelict fishing gear harm the environment, pose a risk to navigation, and negatively impact the economy.

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Marine Debris in the Pacific Northwest Posted Fri, 04/26/2019 - 12:21

To visitors of the Pacific Northwest, beaches along the Pacific Ocean and the Puget Sound seem stunningly beautiful and often pristine. A closer look reveals that these beaches, like beaches the world over, are impacted by marine debris that harms the ecosystem, creates navigational hazards, and negatively affects the economy.

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Washington Marine Debris Action Plan Released Posted Wed, 09/05/2018 - 09:21 Nir Barnea, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a productive and collaborative effort between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and regional partners, including over 50 workshop participants, and represents a partner-led effort to guide Washington’s actions on marine debris for the next six years.

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50 Cleanups and Counting: A Celebration of Community Dedication Posted Thu, 05/17/2018 - 11:00

By: Nir Barnea, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

On April 21, 2018, Earth Day was celebrated with beach cleanups in many places, but for the Grassroots Garbage Gang in Washington State’s Long Beach Peninsula, it was an especially important day— a celebration of the 50th Grassroots Garbage Gang community-organized beach cleanup, representing a remarkable achievement. Beach cleanups on the Long Beach Peninsula began in 1971, when the Pacific Northwest Four Wheel Drive Association, along with support by state agencies and local organizations, started their Shore Patrol and marine debris removal. Around the year 2000, community volunteers formed the Grassroots Garbage Gang and joined the effort to clean up the beautiful Long Beach Peninsula beaches. Organizing three cleanups a year— in January, April (Earth Day), and July 5th– the dedicated volunteers of the Grassroots Garbage Gang have removed hundreds of tons of marine debris over the years. In addition, the group has reached out to the community and visitors with a strong message to prevent marine debris and help reduce it.

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Marine Debris Work with West Coast Native Communities krista.e.stegemann Mon, 11/13/2017 - 11:00

In celebration of National Native American Heritage Month, the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration’s Marine Debris Program and Assessment and Restoration Division are highlighting collaboration with native communities, nations, and peoples.

Many native communities in the Western United States are tied to the ocean, depending on its resources for economic well-being and cultural identity. The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is proud to have worked with native communities on the West Coast to protect these resources by preventing and removing marine debris.

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Derelict Fishing Gear in the Pacific Northwest Posted Thu, 04/13/2017 - 11:30

By: Nir Barnea, Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

To most residents and visitors in the Pacific Northwest, marine debris is what they see on the beautiful beaches of Oregon and Washington: items such as plastic consumer debris, commercial packaging, and even balloons. Luckily, agencies and NGOs including CoastSavers, Grassroots Garbage Gang,  Oregon SOLVE, and the Oregon Marine Debris Team have collaborated together and with the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) for years to prevent and remove this debris, much of it arriving from around the Pacific to the sparsely-populated Pacific Northwest coast. Another form of marine debris, derelict fishing gear, is less visible, but still harmful to the environment, commerce, and navigation. Derelict crab pots, shrimp traps, and lost nets and lines can entangle marine wildlife, harm the sea floor upon which they rest, pose a risk to navigation, and even threaten human safety.

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