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:

  • 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.
    • Fact Sheets
      Part of a Microplastics fact sheet.
      Download and print fast information on marine debris, storm preparedness, and other hot topics.
    • Discover Marine Debris
      underwater photo looking up through marine debris floating on the surface.
      You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers! Explore some of the most frequently asked questions and topics related to marine debris.
    • Videos
      Marine debris videos.
      Watch videos for information on marine debris and NOAA’s work to address it.
    • Reports
      Cover of the 2020 Marine Debris Program Accomplishments Report.
      The NOAA Marine Debris Program has a suite of reports for download, including technical memos, topic papers, and workshop summaries.
    • Monitoring
      Volunteers survey for marine debris on a beach.
      The Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project is the Marine Debris Program’s flagship citizen science initiative that engages partner organizations and volunteers across the nation in completing shoreline marine debris surveys.

  • Fishers & Boaters

    Whatever gets you out on the water, we have resources to help you stay safe and help keep our sea free of debris.
    • Fishing for Energy
      A man disposing of nets in a Fishing for Energy bin with a tractor crane.
      Fishing for Energy is a partnership to prevent and reduce the impacts of derelict fishing gear in the marine environment providing no-cost options for disposing of old or unwanted gear and converting it into energy.
    • 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.
    • Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Info Hub
      Derelict vessel in Florida
      This Abandoned and Derelict Vessel (ADV) InfoHub has been created as a central source of information regarding ADVs and the policies surrounding them in each coastal state.

  • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.
    • How to Help
      Workers lift heavy debris from beach.
      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.
    • Funding Opportunities
      Two people cleaning up marine debris from a rocky shore.
      The NOAA Marine Debris Program offers several nationwide, competitive funding opportunities for marine debris projects. These include: removal, prevention, and research grants.
    • In Your Region
      A map of the regions of the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
      Marine debris impacts every U.S. coastal state and territory. Find state or region-specific information on current marine debris projects and activities.

  • Additional Resources

    Looking for more? Explore these additional resources for adults and professionals.
    • 2021-2025 Strategic Plan
      Cover of the Marine Debris Program Strategic Plan.
      The fiscal year 2021-2025 Strategic Plan highlights how the MDP will work with dedicated staff and partners to make a measurable change toward reaching our vision: the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.
    • 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.