Special Funding Opportunity: Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program Posted 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 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

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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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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Now Available: The Full Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Webinar Series Posted 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Abandoned and Derelict Vessels krista.e.stegemann Fri, 03/30/2018 - 11:00

By: Amanda Laverty, Communications Specialist for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

We’re spending March talking all about marine debris and its types, sources, impacts, and solutions. Tune in throughout the month to learn more about this important topic and how we can all be part of the effort to make our lives and our ocean #DebrisFree.

Though the legal definition of an “Abandoned and Derelict Vessel” varies, an “ADV” is generally considered to be any vessel in significant disrepair that may pose a threat to the public or the environment. “Derelict” frequently refers to vessels that are dilapidated with an identifiable owner, while “abandoned” vessels are those where the owner is unknown or has surrendered rights of ownership. Vessels can become abandoned and derelict for many reasons, ranging from neglect to theft, to catastrophic weather. 

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Abandoned and Derelict Vessels in Florida and the Caribbean Posted Thu, 06/22/2017 - 11:00

Abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) are a marine debris problem in many places around the United States, and pose a particular problem in Florida and the Caribbean. In this region, which boasts both beautiful weather and waters, a high number of recreational and commercial boaters unfortunately equals a high number of ADVs. These large marine debris items range in size from small recreational vessels to large steel-hulled commercial ships, but the majority of the ADVs in the region are from recreational use. These vessels may be abandoned or become derelict at the end of their useful life, after damage from storms, or when boat owners cannot keep up with their maintenance due to time and economic constraints. Unfortunately, the removal of debris items like ADVs is extremely costly and logistically difficult, so many ADVs remain where they are and these vessels can lead to all sorts of problems.

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ADVs and the Gulf of Mexico krista.e.stegemann Thu, 01/26/2017 - 10:30

Abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) are a type of large marine debris that is a problem throughout the country. ADVs can be aesthetically unappealing, but can also create real problems by damaging important habitat, creating hazards to navigation and recreation, leaking pollutants into the environment, and impacting fisheries resources. Vessels can become derelict in a variety of ways, such as being abandoned by their owner after acquiring damage or sunk during a severe storm. Unfortunately, this type of debris can be extremely difficult and costly to remove, often making it difficult to address.

ADVs are particularly a problem in the Gulf of Mexico, especially due to the many severe storms in this region. 

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The Removal of the F/V Western krista.e.stegemann Wed, 01/04/2017 - 13:23

On December 21st, the F/V Western was pulled out of the water near the Empire Dock in Coos Bay, Oregon. The sunken vessel was brought to land and later disposed of, thus ending a long journey that started 82 years earlier. Unlike some abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs), we know a lot about the F/V Western’s history thanks to Toni Mirosevich, a Professor at San Francisco State University and the daughter of Anthony Mirosevich, the captain and owner of the F/V Western for twenty years.

In 1934, when the world was gripped by the Great Depression, a graceful, wood hulled, 69-foot long boat was launched in Tacoma, Washington. The vessel was purchased by the Mirosevich family from Everett, WA in 1945, named Western Maid, and set sail for salmon fishing in Alaska. In 1965, after Anthony Mirosevich passed away, his family sold the boat. At some point, it was converted to a crab fishing vessel and its name was changed to Western.

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Tags removal ADVs Pacific Northwest

Abandoned Vessels in the Rouge River: Removing Debris in the Great Lakes krista.e.stegemann Thu, 02/25/2016 - 10:23

Over the years of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, there have been many efforts around the country to rid our waters and shores of marine debris. As part of our ten-year anniversary celebration, let’s take a look back at one of those efforts in our Great Lakes region.

Fordson Island, in the Lower Rouge River, is located near Detroit, Michigan, and was the site of some pretty neat removal efforts back in 2011. The area actually has some cool history which you can read more about here. The shore of Fordson Island, which hosts some of the last remaining undeveloped habitat in a very industrialized area, was unfortunately the site of a lot of marine debris, most notably abandoned and derelict vessels.

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Cooperative Efforts Result in the Removal of Abandoned Vessels and Other Debris from the Historic Charleston Harbor krista.e.stegemann Fri, 11/13/2015 - 13:06

By: Sarah Latshaw, Southeast Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

Charleston Harbor just got a facelift, with 10 abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) removed from its waterways and shoreline earlier this month. After being abandoned by their owners, many of these boats had been stuck for years, slowly deteriorating in the marsh, because of a lack of funding for removal and salvage efforts. Some of these ADVs were environmental concerns, causing damage to the shoreline and grasses or becoming dumping sites for other boaters’ trash; others posed a threat to navigation, and most were eyesores for this charming, historic city.

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The NOAA Marine Debris Program Launches the New ADV InfoHub! krista.e.stegemann Thu, 11/12/2015 - 15:02

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce the launch of our new ADV InfoHub, to serve as a center for information on abandoned and derelict vessels, or “ADVs.”

ADVs are a type of marine debris that threatens the environment, navigation, and economies. They can be found in ports and waterways all over the country and come from a variety of sources including storms and owner neglect. Unfortunately, they are also a type of marine debris that can be very difficult and expensive to remove. The removal of an ADV often requires extensive financial and technical resources. Additionally, the legislation surrounding the removal of ADVs can be a tricky topic to navigate because it is different for every state.

That’s where the new ADV InfoHub comes in. This new resource provides a central source of information regarding ADVs and the policies surrounding them. 

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