What is Marine Debris?

… Debris? Our oceans are filled with items that do not belong there. Huge amounts of plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, derelict vessels, and other lost or discarded items enter the marine … greatly in size from the smallest plastic pieces, called microplastics , that can be too small to be seen with the …
Discover Marine Debris   

Who We Are

… Who We Are The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine … the scope, scale, and distribution of marine debris in the environment. Through  the Marine Debris Monitoring and …

Spotlight: Implementing Public High School-Based Marine Debris Research and Science Communication

… Implementing Public High School-Based Marine Debris Research and Science Communication …  A summary of a project through … a research project on historic debris accumulation on the islands. Marine debris is a pervasive, global problem …
Caribbean   Curricula Chapter   07/03/2024 - 10:48

Quantification of Marine Microplastics in the Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska

… Scientists from the University of Washington Tacoma, and UW’s Joint … a baseline for the distribution and quantity of marine microplastics in the Gulf of Alaska. Using this baseline, …
Research   Alaska   06/28/2019 - 10:59

Building Partnerships and Removing Marine Debris in the Pacific Islands

… Pacific Coastal Research & Planning is removing and assessing abandoned and derelict vessels and large marine debris in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Freely … payaos (fish aggregating devices) from Palau’s nearshore environment. In addition, the project includes the …
Removal   Pacific Islands   01/23/2025 - 19:06

Quantifying and Characterizing Microplastic Marine Debris Loads in the Mississippi River

… Scientists collected and studied water samples from 11 locations along the Mississippi River and quantified and characterized … studies on impacts to aquatic organisms and sources of microplastics to the Gulf of America. … …
Research   Gulf of America   02/19/2025 - 11:51

International Collaboration

… global problem that touches every corner of our ocean and Great Lakes. It occurs everywhere in the ocean and can be found floating at the surface of the … long distances from its source of entry into the marine environment, and move across national boundaries and …
Our Work   04/23/2025 - 11:33

Habitat Damage

… problems for marine wildlife, but it can also damage the places they live, or their habitats. Marine debris can … the habitats that wildlife depend on, such as nearshore wetlands and mangroves, but it isn’t limited to these areas. … to common trash, such as plastics , cans, and other trash. Microplastics , or plastic pieces smaller than 5 …
Why is Marine Debris a Problem?   02/07/2023 - 07:52

Learning Objectives and Standards Alignment for Making a Marine Debris “MAP”

… The NOAA Marine Debris Program created Making a Marine Debris “MAP”: A Guide to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Monitoring … sites in order to answer specific questions about their environment. Problem Solving : During the MDMAP survey …
02/07/2025 - 10:46

Pathways and Degradation of Marine Debris within the Guánica Watershed in Puerto Rico

… Villanova University is conducting a regional assessment of the Guánica Watershed, Puerto Rico, by studying the upstream sources and movement of marine debris and evaluating how debris … Watershed, Puerto Rico. They will work closely with Alelí Environmental, Inc. and Protectores de Cuencas to collect …
Research   Caribbean   04/15/2025 - 15:43

Ecotoxicological Effects of Microplastic and Sorbed Priority Pollutants in Aquatic Foodchains

… Project Dates: August 2013 - July 2016 What is the project? Researchers at the University of California, … investigated the movement of contaminants associated with microplastics through aquatic food chains. In this study, … terephthalate, polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene) were spiked with polychlorinated biphenyls …
Research   California   06/17/2020 - 10:51

The NOAA Marine Debris Program Awards Funding to 5 New Projects to Research Marine Debris

… After a highly competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce the 5 … Debris Program’s commitment to increasing our shared understanding of marine debris and its impacts. The 2021 funded … Delaware coastal waters.  University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (Maryland, $167,155) will examine how …
Funding Opportunities   08/25/2023 - 16:49

Mystic Aquarium: Teens Take Initiative

… Mystic Aquarium and the NOAA Marine Debris Program worked with teens to educate … does it accomplish? Fifteen high-school students from Sea Research Foundation’s Mystic Aquarium Youth Conservation …
Prevention   Northeast   04/17/2025 - 15:53

After the Survey: Entering Data and Reflecting on the Experience

… Entering the Data  Enter your data online at … database. Your class only needs one account to enter data, and data should only be entered once for each survey you … items you found. What impacts will this debris have on the environment?  Which items/types of debris will have the …
07/25/2024 - 11:43

Marine Debris Education in Santa Barbara Propels Ocean Stewardship

… Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center and the NOAA Marine Debris Program partnered up to educate the … their behaviors to reduce the impact of trash on the marine environment. Marine Debris, the Ocean, & Me focused on …
Prevention   California   04/17/2025 - 15:47