Taking on Debris with Innovation and Determination in Alaska

5 years 9 months ago
Taking on Debris with Innovation and Determination in Alaska Posted Fri, 05/17/2019 - 21:03

The word “Alaska” may bring to mind images of snowy mountains, icy glaciers, dogsleds, snow-machines, isolated cabins, fishing boats, and amazing wildlife. While those are all things you can find in “The Great Land,” Alaska is also a place where marine debris is an especially impactful and challenging problem.

Tags Alaska removal
Shanelle.Naone

Committed to Caretaking the Shores of Hawaii

5 years 9 months ago
Committed to Caretaking the Shores of Hawaii Posted Wed, 05/15/2019 - 16:51

The southern shoreline of Hawai‘i is inundated with plastic pollution - to the point that one area, routinely cleaned by volunteers, is sadly known as “Plastic Beach.” Hawai'i Wildlife Fund is committed to caretaking this culturally rich stretch of coastline and restoring its proper name: Kamilo Point. 

Tags Pacific Islands removal derelict fishing gear
Shanelle.Naone

Reducing Marine Debris by Increasing Options

5 years 10 months ago
Reducing Marine Debris by Increasing Options Posted Mon, 05/13/2019 - 20:39

Inspiration for a project can come from multiple places, which is the case for the Hawaii State Parks water bottle filling station project, that will become a reality thanks to a NOAA Marine Debris Program Prevention Grant. The first seed for this project was planted when I volunteered with Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund to help with a cleanup at Kamilo Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii. 

Tags Pacific Islands prevention
Shanelle.Naone

Marine Debris in the Pacific Islands

5 years 10 months ago
Marine Debris in the Pacific Islands Posted Fri, 05/10/2019 - 15:57

The Pacific Islands bring to mind some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, but many do not know it is also home to beaches that are overwhelmed with marine debris. Pacific Ocean currents carry marine debris from afar to these remote archipelagos, inundating even its uninhabited islands with massive amounts of trash. The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s (MDP) Pacific Islands Region includes the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI).

Tags Pacific Islands
Shanelle.Naone

Maryland Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: A New Comprehensive Guide for the State

5 years 10 months ago
Maryland Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: A New Comprehensive Guide for the State Posted Fri, 05/03/2019 - 15:27

It’s Hurricane Preparedness Week! As we start preparing for hurricane season, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the “Maryland Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document” (Maryland Guide). The Maryland Guide is a product of a collaborative process with local, state, and federal agencies. The Guide aims to improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following an acute waterway debris incident in coastal Maryland.

Tags emergency response report Mid-Atlantic
emma.tonge

Makah Tribe Works to Address Derelict Crab Pots and Lines

5 years 10 months ago
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.

Tags Pacific Northwest removal derelict crab pots derelict fishing gear
emma.tonge

Marine Debris in the Pacific Northwest

5 years 10 months ago
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.

Tags Pacific Northwest removal prevention
emma.tonge

Tackling Seaside Cigarette Litter with Surfrider San Francisco

5 years 10 months ago
Tackling Seaside Cigarette Litter with Surfrider San Francisco Posted Mon, 04/22/2019 - 14:35

Despite the fact that cigarette smoking is on a steep decline, cigarette butts remain the top littered item in San Francisco, and the most common item found on beaches around the world. They’re easy to miss, but once you see them, you’ll never “unsee” them. Surfrider San Francisco’s Hold on to Your Butt program has one ambitious goal: to end cigarette litter so we never have to see those butts again. Through volunteer power, the program works to bring awareness to the environmental impact of the cigarette flick.

Tags prevention California
emma.tonge