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.

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Tags Large Scale Marine Debris Removal Pacific Northwest removal ADVs

Extracting Sunken Vessels and Creating Safer Waters in Puerto Rico amanda.r.kippen Mon, 04/20/2026 - 14:07

With support through a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Isla Mar Research Expeditions, LLC., and partners from the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources and HJR Reefscaping are removing abandoned and derelict vessels from the waters surrounding Puerto Rico. The 18 vessels removed so far weigh a total of over 130,000 pounds. The project is also supporting 11 jobs, and four new jobs were created. This cleanup effort makes Puerto Rico’s waters and beaches safer for boaters, fishers, and recreational users.

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Tags ADVs Caribbean removal Large Scale Marine Debris Removal

A Shared Mission for a Cleaner Gulf Coast madison.piascik Thu, 01/08/2026 - 10:40

Communities throughout the Gulf Coast are coming together to clean up their local waters. With support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, the Gulf of America Alliance (“the Alliance”) is working in coordination with state and local partners on a large-scale, multi-state initiative to remove derelict vessels and restore coastal health and safety. Over the course of four years, vessels are being removed across the Gulf Coast, with recent removals taking place in Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama. 

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Tags ADVs Gulf of America removal Large Scale Marine Debris Removal

Special Funding Opportunity: Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program madison.piascik Tue, 06/04/2024 - 15:31

We are pleased to announce with the BoatUS Foundation, a call for applications under the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program. With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the BoatUS Foundation will award up to $7.5 million in grants to remove abandoned and derelict vessels across coastal and marine areas of the United States. 

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Tags ADVs funding opportunities removal Large Scale Marine Debris Removal

New Report: Recycling Opportunities for Abandoned, Derelict, and End-of-Life Recreational Vessels neil.mccoy Wed, 02/08/2023 - 11:00

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share a report on Recycling Opportunities for Abandoned, Derelict, and End-of-Life Recreational Vessels. Section 136 of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (P.L. 116-224) required a study to determine the feasibility of developing a nationwide vessel recycling program, using a pilot project in Rhode Island as a model. The report was created by the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association Foundation, in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, in order to summarize that study.

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Tags ADVs Northeast recycling report

Marine Debris Cleanup Efforts in North Carolina Continue Years After Hurricane Florence neil.mccoy Tue, 11/29/2022 - 11:00

Vessel removals are a big part of the ongoing cleanup efforts by the North Carolina Coastal Federation along North Carolina’s coast. Since 2019, nearly 100 abandoned and derelict vessels have been removed, along with tons of marine debris collected by commercial fishers. The total yield is an amazing 1,800 tons, or 3.6 million pounds, of debris cleaned out of coastal waters and habitats. While these removal efforts highlight the significant progress made by the project, marine debris continues to be a problem.

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Tags Southeast removal ADVs

Now Available: The Full Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Webinar Series neil.mccoy Tue, 03/29/2022 - 11:00

Over the past year, experts from across the country shared their experiences, solutions, and lessons learned through our Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels monthly webinar series to help communities facing abandoned and derelict vessel issues. We are pleased to share that the full webinar series is now available on our website. 

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Tags ADVs

Clearing the Lady Carolina from Saipan Lagoon Shanelle.Naone Wed, 01/26/2022 - 11:00

The strongest El Niño episode in the Western Pacific, since the record years of 1997 and 1998, took place in 2015. Micronesia experienced over 30 tropical cyclones, and the chances of typhoons impacting the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands were significantly elevated. After several near-misses, in August 2015 Typhoon Soudelor directly impacted the island of Saipan. In its wake, it caused the initial grounding of the Lady Carolina, an 83-foot, steel-hulled fishing vessel, in Saipan Lagoon. 

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Tags Pacific Islands removal ADVs

North Carolina Mounts Statewide Effort to Remove Abandoned and Derelict Vessels neil.mccoy Thu, 06/17/2021 - 11:00

For the first time ever, North Carolina is mounting a comprehensive effort to address and remove abandoned and derelict vessels that blight the coast, pose navigational hazards, and degrade important coastal habitats. The North Carolina Coastal Federation is partnering with the NOAA Marine Debris Program and other federal, state, and local partners to take the first important steps to document and remove these vessels.

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Tags Southeast ADVs removal

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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Tags Pacific Northwest ADVs removal

New Monthly Webinar: Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels neil.mccoy Wed, 02/03/2021 - 11:00

We are excited to announce our new monthly webinar series, Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels. Every fourth Wednesday of the month at 3 pm ET, the webinar will feature experts on a topic related to abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), to share perspectives and solutions from across the country on common ADV issues.

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Tags ADVs removal

A Picturesque Town Harbor Restored through Marine Debris Removal jennifer.simms Thu, 05/21/2020 - 08:49

A perfect contrast: A once treasured and well-traveled vessel lays on her side along the shore of the Rachel Carson Reserve in Beaufort, North Carolina where wild horses graze, researchers discover, and school children learn about estuaries on nature hikes. Abandoned vessels, some left or forgotten by the owner and others remaining after storms, pose complex legal challenges that are often roadblocks to prevention and removal efforts (Spoiler alert: there is a happy ending for Beaufort, North Carolina!).

 

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Tags removal Southeast ADVs

Connected by the Sea and Combating Debris in the Pacific jennifer.simms Thu, 02/13/2020 - 15:39

The Pacific Ocean bonds and connects many islands and people throughout the region. These communities share in the art and science of traditional navigation, which has fostered an intimate attachment to the ocean over many generations. Today, these island communities also share in the struggle of mitigating marine debris as they work to protect the ocean.

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Tags removal prevention outreach ADVs research Pacific Islands