Salvaging Solutions: Taking an Inventory of the Issue

Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADVs) is a monthly online webinar series hosted by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. The goal of the series is to help communities through sharing perspectives from across the country on common abandoned and derelict vessel issues and solutions. Each webinar features experts from federal, state, and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, universities, and industry, who discuss topics about communications, funding, policy, and successes and challenges under blue skies and storm conditions. To learn more and see a schedule of upcoming webinars, please visit the Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Webinar Series webpage.

Taking an Inventory of the Issue

This Salvaging Solutions webinar focused on efforts to inventory and track ADVs.

Speakers

Liz Hartje, Project Manager – South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (DHEC OCRM)
Liz has overseen the Marine Debris Program in the Coastal Services section at DHEC OCRM and managed the MyCoast South Carolina application since early 2015. MyCoast is a web and mobile-based application that allows users to report high-tide flooding, storm damage, and marine debris along the South Carolina coast. The application’s Abandoned Boat reporting tool is being used to engage the public, document the presence of ADVs along the coast, and promote coordination. Liz shared how DHEC OCRM uses information from the tool, its limitations, and plans for enhancing the tool over the next five years.   

Mark White, GIS Manager/Senior Analyst – Research Planning, Inc. (RPI)
Mark is a Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and serves as the GIS Department Manager and Senior GIS Analyst with nearly 30 years of experience with RPI. Mark has provided on-scene and remote support to NOAA’s Scientific Support Coordinators and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) since 1992, in addition to hurricane response since 2017. He and his team of highly trained GIS analysts and programmers have developed processes and tools to identify and track ADVs resulting from significant storm events. Mark provided an overview of RPI’s efforts to support NOAA and the USCG.

Robb Wright, GIS Data Manager – NOAA Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R)
Robb has been with NOAA for 17 years, where he has focused on making data available to the public through web-mapping and data portals. Robb has been with OR&R's Assessment and Restoration Division for the past eight years, where he assists with mapping oil spills, hurricane planning efforts, and other response-related work. Data from these activities often come from a variety of sources, so Robb works to make them more accessible to responders and the public. Robb provided an overview of various data sets and processes of pulling together data into one common operational picture using the Environmental Response Management Application.