A sailboat being lifted by a crane out of a marsh.

For Adults and Professionals

Learn more about how marine debris impacts fishing, boating, and recreation.

See Also:
For Students
For Kids and Families
For Educators

  • Emergency Response

    Learn all about the NOAA Marine Debris Program's efforts to coordinate and facilitate response to emergencies and natural disasters, from storms to tsunamis.

    Emergency Response

    Marine debris after Japanese tsunami.
    Marine debris is an everyday problem, but natural disasters have the potential to make it worse. To mitigate these impacts, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is facilitating response planning efforts in coastal states.

    Response Guides

    Abandoned boats loaded on a salvage vessel.
    Emergency Response Guides provide specific direction for coordinating local, state, and federal response to acute marine debris events.

    National Ocean Service Hurricane Planning and Response

    Satellite view of a hurricane making landfall on the North Carolina coast.
    Learn about hurricanes and explore our roles and responsibilities related to hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery with this resource collection from the National Ocean Service.

    Storm Preparedness & Marine Debris Fact Sheet

    Storm Preparedness & Marine Debris Fact Sheet.
    This document (also available in Spanish) runs through some basic steps to prepare for storms and prevent your property from becoming marine debris.

  • Taking Action on Marine Debris

    Marine debris is a human-caused problem, but it also has human solutions. Those solutions can start with you! Learn more about things you can do to keep our sea free of debris.

    Urban Ocean Brings Together Partners for Summit in Chennai, India

    A speaker making opening remarks at the Urban Ocean Summit stage.
    From June 18-20, thanks to funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Ocean Conservancy and its partners hosted the Urban Ocean Summit in Chennai, India – one of the 12 Urban Ocean Cities.

    All the Tools You Need to Tackle Marine Debris

    Two volunteers sorting through miscellaneous marine debris items and categorizing types of marine debris on a tracking sheet.
    The NOAA Marine Debris Program has all of the tools to engage partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.

    Tropical Islands Partnering on Solutions for Marine Debris Webinar Series

    TIPS Webinar banner.
    Explore this webinar series intended to help tropical island communities connect and share perspectives from across the tropics on common marine debris issues and proposed solutions.

    Collecting Marine Debris Data

    Volunteers cleaning up marine debris along a shoreline covered in logs.
    In order to learn more about the problem and understand the types and amount of marine debris in our environment, we need to collect data - and you can help!

    How to Help on the Water

    Man leaning over the side of a boat pulling a fish trap up from the water.
    Learn more about how responsible boaters and fishers can prevent marine debris and join efforts to clean up our Ocean and Great Lakes.

    Regional Action Plans

    People walking up the beach with bags of debris collected from the shore.
    Action Plans provide a strategic framework for partners across a specific state or region to address the problem of marine debris.

    Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Webinar Series

    Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels.
    Welcome to the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s online webinar series, Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels! Each month’s webinar features experts on a topic related to abandoned and derelict vessels.

    Marine Debris Clearinghouse

    Explore information on the Marine Debris Clearinghouse.
    Look here to find completed and in-progress projects and their results based on different project information, including location, project type, time frame, partner, or debris type.

  • Additional Resources

    Looking for more? Explore these additional resources for adults and professionals.

    Photos

    A crab entangled in a yellow net.
    Check out our photo gallery for images of marine debris types, sources, solutions, research, prevention, and impacts.

    Marine Debris Blog

    A person removing debris near a large chick on the beach.
    Here you can learn about all things marine debris! Our blog promotes the work of our dedicated partners, announces new marine debris products and events, and shares information on how you can help.

  • Learn More About Marine Debris

    What is marine debris? Where does it come from? How does it affect our ocean and waterways? Find the answers to these and all your marine debris questions here.

    Breaking Down Plastic Facts and Myths

    A wave crashing on shore into a pile of marine debris.
    We compiled everything you need to know about plastic and its effects on the planet. There is a lot of information out there and we are “breaking down” some facts and common myths about plastic and marine debris.

    The Economic Impacts of Marine Debris on Tourism-Dependent Communities

    A beach filled with people and umbrellas located in Delaware.
    Take a look at how the amount of marine debris on beaches can affect the behaviors of beachgoers and as a result, the economies of coastal communities that depend on tourism.

    The Marine Debris Act

    Debris such as plastic detergent bottles, crates, buoys, combs, and water bottles litter a beach.
    Get to know the legislation and policy that makes the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s work possible.

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

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