The mission of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, to share that knowledge and information with others, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. In 2006, Congress authorized the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) as the U.S. Federal government’s lead for addressing marine debris. The MDP achieves its mission through six main pillars: Prevention, Removal, Research, Monitoring and Detection, Response, and Coordination. The NOAA MDP chairs the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee and serves as Executive Secretariat.