No Silver Bullet: Addressing Shotgun Wad Debris in San Francisco Bay Posted Tue, 04/28/2020 - 06:15

The Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary is one of the NOAA Marine Debris Programs’s longest running Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project partners. Six years of data collection at locations along the Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo county coastline revealed the types and frequency of marine debris on the surveyed shorelines, as well as one particularly interesting and problematic type of debris. The survey data indicated that shotgun wads, the plastic piece inside a shotgun shell that separates the shot from the powder, are one of the top ten most commonly found plastic items on all surveyed beaches.

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How Microplastics Travel in the Southern California Bight Posted Fri, 04/10/2020 - 12:06

Although plastic pollution is not a new phenomenon, concerns over the environmental and human health implications of microplastics, or plastic pieces less than 5 mm in size, has grown rapidly over the past decade. These concerns stem from their potential to be ingested by wildlife, accumulate in animal bodies, and transfer contaminants up the food chain, as well as their widespread presence in the environment.

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Understanding the Movement of Microplastics in River Plumes Posted Fri, 04/10/2020 - 11:31

Microplastics in the ocean are a growing concern to both the scientific community and to the public at large. Much of the attention is focused on the garbage patches that can be found in oceanic gyres and  are thousands of miles from their largely urban sources. However, the amount of microplastics is often significantly higher in urban waterways than in these remote garbage patches.

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Tags microplastics research Mid-Atlantic

Microplastics and Disease in Steelhead Trout Posted Fri, 04/03/2020 - 10:27

In the environment, animals may be exposed to many stressors at the same time, such as pollution, overfishing, and disease. Research suggests that animals exposed to microplastics and microfibers, or plastic pieces smaller than 5mm in size, may experience negative impacts to their immune system.

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Blue Crab Babies and Microplastics jennifer.simms Fri, 04/03/2020 - 09:19

Microplastics, or plastic pieces smaller than 5mm in size, are commonly found in our ocean and coastal waters. Do the microplastics that these larval crabs encounter while drifting in the ocean affect their survival and ability to return to estuaries? With support from a NOAA Marine Debris Program Research grant, a team of University of Delaware marine scientists have joined forces to study this question.

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Tags research Mid-Atlantic microplastics

2020 Florida Marine Debris Reduction Plan Released jennifer.simms Thu, 04/02/2020 - 14:00

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the 2020 Florida Marine Debris Reduction Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and local, state, and federal governments; nonprofits; industry; and academic institutions, and represents a partner-led effort to guide marine debris actions in Florida for the next five years.

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Keeping Current with Marine Debris in Florida and the Caribbean jennifer.simms Fri, 03/27/2020 - 13:45

The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Florida and Caribbean region includes the state of Florida and the territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI; St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas). This area is surrounded by clear blue water full of diverse coral reefs, fish, and other marine life. The region is no stranger to tourism, fishing, and natural hazards, such as hurricanes, and each of these events can generate marine debris.

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Tags removal prevention Fishing for Energy Florida Caribbean

Keeping Current with Marine Debris in Florida and the Caribbean jennifer.simms Fri, 03/27/2020 - 13:45

The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Florida and Caribbean region includes the state of Florida and the territories of Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI; St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas). This area is surrounded by clear blue water full of diverse coral reefs, fish, and other marine life. The region is no stranger to tourism, fishing, and natural hazards, such as hurricanes, and each of these events can generate marine debris.

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Tags removal prevention Fishing for Energy Florida Caribbean

Digital Debris - Learn About Marine Debris Online jennifer.simms Tue, 03/24/2020 - 11:27

You don’t need to live by the coast or the Great Lakes to learn about marine debris. The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) has free activities, videos, and more available online. On the MDP website, there is a dedicated section with resources and activities for all ages, where you can view activity books and browse lesson plans.

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2019 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund Awards jennifer.simms Mon, 03/09/2020 - 13:17

Following a competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are pleased to announce the six recipients of the 2019 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund. The funds will go to coastal states and territories impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and Typhoon Yutu, totaling approximately $8.2 million in federal funds. Federal funding is supplemented by grantee matching contributions, bringing the total investment of these marine debris projects to approximately $8.6 million.

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Tags emergency response Florida Southeast Pacific Islands

2019 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund Awards Posted Mon, 03/09/2020 - 13:17

Following a competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are pleased to announce the six recipients of the 2019 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund. The funds will go to coastal states and territories impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael, and Typhoon Yutu, totaling approximately $8.2 million in federal funds. Federal funding is supplemented by grantee matching contributions, bringing the total investment of these marine debris projects to approximately $8.6 million.

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Tags emergency response Florida & the Caribbean Southeast Pacific Islands