Prevention

Led by the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, schools and businesses across the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska initiated zero waste and green initiatives, coupled with marine debris education.

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies worked to build awareness of marine debris through field experiences and zero waste campaigns at local schools and businesses.

The University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant worked with teachers from Glynn Middle School in Brunswick, GA, which engaged middle school students in finding ways to reduce and prevent marine debris.

Sea Education Association worked to reduce the use of single-use plastic items which engaged students in lessons on marine debris, social science research, and the creation of a local campaign to educate the community and promote behavior change.

Hudson River Community Sailing empowered NYC high school students in their Sail Academy afterschool program to become stewards of the Hudson Estuary through marine debris collection, prevention, and outreach.

The University of the Virgin Islands worked to reduce land-based sources of marine debris in the U.S. Virgin Islands through a targeted ridge-to-reef and watershed educational and outreach program.

One Cool Earth partnered with 17 schools in Paso Robles and Atascadero, California, to implement school litter and waste reduction programs.

The School District of the City of Erie lead a district-wide education and outreach effort with students, teachers, and the community that reduced land-based marine debris by combining curriculum with stewardship.

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs implemented a new Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition which challenged teens to design and implement a project that reduces or prevents marine debris.

Trash Free Maryland launched a multi-year social marketing campaign to reduce land-based litter in Baltimore City.

Pacific Whale Foundation launched a public awareness campaign to inform, educate, and involve the public in marine debris awareness and policy focused on tobacco-free beaches in Maui, Hawaii.

Ship Island Excursions worked to provide marine debris education and outreach to coastal Mississippi students as well as passengers on the Ship Island ferry.

Sea Turtle, Inc. raised awareness of the effects of marine debris on endangered sea turtles in the lower Laguna Madre and Gulf of Mexico by creating permanent, bilingual marine debris education displays and engaging the community in cleanups.

The National Sea Grant Law Center at the University of Mississippi worked to assess the transferability of innovative methods for addressing derelict fishing gear and to identify opportunities to prevent gear loss due to vessel interactions.

The BoatU.S. Foundation prevented derelict fishing gear by educating recreational boaters about strategies to reduce vessel interactions with active fishing gear.

Through the Fishing for Energy program, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries used side-scan sonar to address challenges associated with identifying derelict lobster pots.

Through the Fishing for Energy program, the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries worked to develop a series of videos to educate recreational pot fishers about practices that can help prevent gear loss.

The Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation worked to implement a multifaceted STEM education program focusing on ocean literacy and marine debris in the Gulf of Maine.

The University of Hartford worked to develop an open source, replicable, college-level service learning course to improve knowledge, lead outreach, inform policy, and inspire change on the issue of marine debris.

The Northwest Straits Foundation worked to prevent derelict fishing gear in the Puget Sound through education and outreach to tribal, commercial, and recreational fishermen and crabbers.

The Mālama Learning Center tackled marine debris through community outreach in Leeward (West) Oahu.

EarthTeam educated and trained high school students to lead “Zero Litter Campaigns” in their schools and communities, aimed to prevent land-based litter from becoming marine debris.

Clean Water Fund educated the take-out food industry and its customers about the marine debris prevention benefits and cost savings associated with reducing food and beverage packaging.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington educated elementary and middle school students about marine debris through hands-on lessons in an inflatable whale classroom.

Florida Sea Grant created a network of citizen scientists across Florida to study microplastics and lead education and outreach events.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, and the Fishing for Energy partners teamed up to prevent derelict crab trap generation due to recreational boat strikes.

Nature’s Academy engaged fifth grade students in Manatee County, Florida in a hands-on educational program that increased knowledge and fostered behavior change to prevent marine debris.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley started an innovative education and outreach program to prevent marine debris from entering the South Texas coastal zone and the Gulf of Mexico.

The City of Cleveland and the NOAA Marine Debris Program identified barriers to the reduction and proper disposal of plastic grocery bags, water bottles, and cigar tips— three common types of marine debris found on Cleveland area beaches.

Rutgers University and the NOAA Marine Debris Program partnered for the WeCrab project to educate and train recreational crabbers, teachers, students, and coastal users to prevent derelict fishing gear and other debris in New Jersey.

The National Aquarium partnered with the NOAA Marine Debris Program to create a network of community leaders to initiate and lead marine debris prevention efforts and clean up debris near Baltimore.

University of Wisconsin Sea Grant educated fishers about ghost nets in Lake Superior.

The Washed Ashore Project partnered with NOAA Marine Debris Program to bring new art and science curriculum to students and teachers.

The Salem Sound Coastwatch partnered with the NOAA Marine Debris Program to focus on urban neighborhoods in Salem, Massachusetts to raise awareness and change local trash disposal behaviors.

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History educated students on how they can prevent trash from reaching the ocean.

Alice Ferguson Foundation educated teenage litterers in the Potomac River watershed.

Feiro Marine Life Center educated students and residents from Washington’s Olympic Peninsula about marine debris impacts.

Virginia DEQ used social marketing to mitigate the impacts of balloon marine debris.

Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund engaged the keiki (children) of Hawai‘i to learn about marine debris impacts and forge creative solutions.

Protectores de Cuencas launched Think Before You Drop It, a social marketing campaign to reduce litter on beaches in Puerto Rico.

University of South Florida engaged local youth and tourists by targeting shoreline and beach litter in Florida.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the NOAA Marine Debris Program partnered to use data to inform fishing choices.

Ocean Conservancy instilled an environmental ethic in youth and corporate employees in an effort to end marine debris.

Mystic Aquarium and the NOAA Marine Debris Program worked with teens to educate and inspire their peers.

University of Georgia Marine Extension Service partnered with the NOAA Marine Debris Program to use student marine debris surveys to encourage environmental stewardship.

Monterey Bay Aquarium worked with California teachers to add marine debris lessons to their classrooms.

NOAA and Oregon State University engaged students on marine debris using an integrated curriculum.

Anchorage Museum educated the public with a marine debris exhibit called GYRE: The Plastic Ocean.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. is home to Wendy and Tinkerbell, two brown pelicans found entangled in fishing line in Florida.