The Many Hands of California’s Marine Debris Community Shanelle.Naone Wed, 03/02/2022 - 11:00

About 70% of Californians believe their ocean and beaches are very important to California’s future and report that plastics and marine debris are a big problem on a coast near them. As a result, organizations, individuals, and volunteers from across the state are contributing an enormous and noble amount of time and energy to make California a national leader on addressing and preventing marine debris.

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Working Together to Tackle Marine Debris in the Great Lakes neil.mccoy Wed, 02/02/2022 - 11:00

The Great Lakes region, with its beautiful coastlines, diverse wildlife, and stunning vistas is not immune to marine debris concerns. Fortunately, our numerous partners in the region are hard at work addressing the issues of plastics, fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, and other debris that impact the environment.

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Tags Great Lakes removal prevention research

The 2022 Ohio Marine Debris Art Challenge: How does Marine Debris Impact Lake Erie Wildlife? neil.mccoy Mon, 01/31/2022 - 11:00

In order to help raise awareness of the issue of marine debris in the Great Lakes, we’re excited to be offering the Ohio Marine Debris Art Challenge for students in grades 6-12 in coastal Ohio! After learning about marine debris in the ocean and Great Lakes, and how we all may be contributing with our trash, students will create marine debris artwork from repurposed trash.

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Tags Great Lakes art contest education

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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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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Small Communities with Large Efforts to Prevent and Remove Marine Debris Shanelle.Naone Tue, 12/28/2021 - 14:55

The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Islands Region of American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawai‘i spans across 5,239,989 square miles, and is our largest region. Despite their geographic isolation, these island communities are not isolated from the issue of marine debris. Island communities face unique challenges around managing marine debris, including limited land mass, waste infrastructure, and currents that carry debris from afar. Five marine debris prevention and removal projects supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program are in progress in the Pacific Islands Region. These small communities are leading the way with large efforts.

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Tags Pacific Islands removal prevention derelict fishing gear

Clearing Derelict Fishing Gear from Artificial Reefs in Florida's Charlotte Harbor neil.mccoy Tue, 12/21/2021 - 11:00

Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently completed a marine debris removal project with the support of a Fishing for Energy grant, a partnership between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Covanta, and Schnitzer Steel. Florida's DEP and their partners worked to locate and remove derelict fishing gear and other marine debris from four artificial reefs in the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves on the southwest coast of Florida.

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Tags removal derelict fishing gear Fishing for Energy Florida

2021 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan Released neil.mccoy Wed, 12/08/2021 - 11:00

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the 2021 Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the MDP and partners across Hawai‘i, including federal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia. It represents a partner-led effort to guide marine debris actions in Hawai‘i for the next ten years.

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Tags Pacific Islands report

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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Tags Pacific Northwest removal derelict fishing gear

The Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan 2010-2020 Accomplishments Report is Now Available! Shanelle.Naone Thu, 10/21/2021 - 11:00

The Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan) was the first community-based marine debris action plan in the nation facilitated by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Established in 2010 and updated four times, it is a comprehensive framework for strategic action to reduce the ecological, health and safety, and economic impacts of marine debris in Hawai‘i by 2020. This report provides a history of the Action Plan and celebrates the accomplishments of the community. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud of the Hawai'i Marine Debris Action Plan community and to present the 2010-2020 Accomplishments Report.

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Tags Pacific Islands removal research prevention

New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: A New Comprehensive Guide for the State neil.mccoy Thu, 10/14/2021 - 11:30

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document (Guide). The Guide is a product of collaboration among state and federal agencies and will improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following any natural disaster or event that generates large amounts of marine debris in New Jersey.

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New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: A New Comprehensive Guide for the State neil.mccoy Thu, 10/14/2021 - 11:30

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document (Guide). The Guide is a product of collaboration among state and federal agencies and will improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following any natural disaster or event that generates large amounts of marine debris in New Jersey.

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Tags Mid-Atlantic emergency response

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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Tags Pacific Northwest report

A Mission to Mālama Through Marine Debris Removal Shanelle.Naone Fri, 09/24/2021 - 15:30

Wednesday, September 22 marked the completion of the marine debris removal mission in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The marine debris removal team arrived at Pearl Harbor aboard the charter vessel IMUA along with the nearly 124,000 pounds of marine debris they removed during their 30-day mission. Marine debris removal is of critical importance to both the natural and cultural components of the monument. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to have partnered in this collaborative undertaking. 

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Tags NWHI removal Pacific Islands

A Mission to Mālama Through Marine Debris Removal Shanelle.Naone Fri, 09/24/2021 - 15:30

Wednesday, September 22 marked the completion of the marine debris removal mission in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The marine debris removal team arrived at Pearl Harbor aboard the charter vessel IMUA along with the nearly 124,000 pounds of marine debris they removed during their 30-day mission. Marine debris removal is of critical importance to both the natural and cultural components of the monument. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to have partnered in this collaborative undertaking. 

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Tags NWHI removal Pacific Islands

Derelict Nets and Ghost Fishing: A Haunting Problem in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Shanelle.Naone Wed, 09/15/2021 - 11:00

The delicate and extraordinary environment of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (monument) receives an estimated 52 metric tons of derelict fishing gear every year from commercial fisheries all over the Pacific. Derelict fishing gear refers to nets, lines, pots, traps, and other fishing equipment that has been lost, abandoned, or discarded in the marine environment. Most modern fishing gear is made of long-lasting and/or synthetic materials, such as plastic and metal, that can remain in the environment for many years. Derelict nets and ghost fishing are a haunting problem in the monument, and their removal is an important part of protecting and preserving the unique native ecosystem of Papahānaumokuākea.

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Tags Pacific Islands removal NWHI derelict fishing gear

Marine Debris Removal Mission Begins in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Shanelle.Naone Tue, 08/24/2021 - 01:38

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument is integral to Native Hawaiian culture and is a sacred landscape. Unfortunately, marine debris has and continues to pose a significant threat to its natural and cultural resources. We are pleased to support the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Debris Project team as they launch a 30-day mission in the monument with support from the non-profit Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project.

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Tags Pacific Islands removal NWHI

Mussels and Microplastics in Milwaukee neil.mccoy Wed, 08/04/2021 - 11:00

Since 1992, the NOAA Great Lakes Mussel Watch Program (GLMWP) has collected invasive zebra and quagga mussels from sites in the Great Lakes as part of its national contaminant monitoring program. Zebra and quagga mussels store contaminants in their bodies, a quality that suggests they may be useful as water quality biomonitors. Because they are stationary filter feeders, are abundant, and are relatively resistant to chemicals, their body tissues can be tested to reveal pollution where they live. In 2018, a team of marine scientists from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, NOAA GLMWP, and Loyola University Chicago joined forces to ask whether these invasive mussels take in microplastics along with chemical pollutants, and might they be indicators of microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes?

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Tags research Great Lakes

Congratulations to the Winners of the Sixth Ohio Marine Debris Challenge! neil.mccoy Fri, 06/25/2021 - 11:00

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the sixth annual Ohio Marine Debris Challenge! This year, middle and high school students from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastal communities completed lessons and created artwork to raise awareness about the global problem of marine debris, especially in the Great Lakes. Students were challenged to create original artwork using repurposed trash that showcased Cedar Point Amusement Park’s 150th Anniversary.

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Tags Great Lakes art contest

Katmai Coast Cleanup Shanelle.Naone Thu, 06/24/2021 - 11:00

The Ocean Plastics Recovery Project, in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, will lead a team of scientists, students, artists, and plastics recycling and recovery experts on the first of several marine debris cleanup expeditions to Katmai National Park in Alaska. Collectively, the cleanups, planned for 2021-2022, will be the largest marine debris removal effort in Katmai to date and has the goal to remove over 25 tons of ocean plastics from the marine environment and improve approximately 500 acres of coastal habitat for the salmon, bears, and all wild inhabitants of the 4,000,000-acre park.

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