NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | June 2019

June 2019

A Hawaiian monk seal rests on a plastic water bottle (Photo NOAA, ESA/MMPA permits 16632-01 and/or 18786).

In This Issue

Celebrating World Ocean Day

New Maryland Response Guide

Ditching Plastic Debris for our Feathered Friends

Preparing for Hurricane Season

Reducing Marine Debris by Increasing Options

Turtle Classroom Simulations

Creating Change through Youth in Alaska

Recovering from Hurricane Irma

Restoring the Shores of Hawaii

Quick Links

Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
MDMAP Toolbox
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse

Marine Debris Tracker Mobile Application

Tracker App Logo

Make a difference by using the Marine Debris Tracker app to record debris items you find.

Upcoming Cleanups

June 8
I Love a Clean San Diego
Imperial Beach, CA

June 8
Ocean Hour
Bay Bluffs Park
Pensacola, FL

June 8
Beach.com
Siesta Key Beach
Sarasota, FL

June 8
Illinois Ocean Coalition
Rainbow Beach
Chicago, IL

June 8
Center for Coastal Studies
Beach Point
Truro, MA

June 8
Surfrider Ocean City
133rd St
Ocean City, MD

June 8
Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
Mississippi Aquarium
Gulfport, MS

June 8
Blue Ocean Society
Rye Harbor State Park
Rye, NH

June 8
Alliance for the Great Lakes
LaSalle Park
Buffalo, NY

June 8
SOLVE
Bandon, OR

June 8
Surfrider Virginia Beach
Croatan Beach Park
Virginia Beach, VA

June 9
Surfrider Newport
Devil's Punchbowl State Park
Otter Rock, OR

June 9
Seattle Aquarium
Multiple locations
Seattle, WA

June 10
Surfrider San Francisco
Ocean Beach
San Francisco, CA

June 11
Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn, NY

June 12
Clean Ocean Access
Sachuest Beach
Middletown, RI

June 13
Washington State University Extension
Keystone East State Park
Keystone, WA

June 15
Heal the Bay
Redondo Beach Pier
Redondo Beach, CA

June 15
Miami-Dade Parks
Pelican Harbor Marina
Miami, FL

June 15
Ocean Hour
William Bartram Memorial Park
Pensacola, FL

June 15
Kent Island Beach Cleanups
Matapeake Beach and Pier
Kent Island, MD

June 15
Potomac Conservancy
Long Branch Community Center
Silver Spring, MD

June 15
River Raisin Institute
Sterling State Park
Monroe, MI

June 15
Greater Cleveland Aquarium
Edgewater Park
Cleveland, OH

June 15
SOLVE
Gladstone, OR

June 15
Pennsylvania DCNR
Barracks Beach
Erie, PA

June 15
Metroparks Tacoma
Point Defiance
Tacoma, WA

June 16
Tybee Clean Beach
Marine Science Center
Tybee Island, GA

June 19
808 Cleanups
Keawaula Beach
Waialua, O'ahu, HI

June 21
Washington State University Extension
Deception Pass State Park
Oak Harbor, WA

June 22
Pacific Beach Coalition
Mussel Rock
Daly City, CA

June 23
Sharkastics
Kukona Place
Wailuku, Maui, HI

June 27
Litter Patrol
City Hall
Glen Cove, NY

June 29
Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
Biloxi Lighthouse
Biloxi, MS

July 5
I Love a Clean San Diego
Mission Beach Park
San Diego, CA

July 5
Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
Locations across coastal Mississippi

July 5
GrassRoots Garbage Gang
Long Beach, WA

 

Can't make it to a listed cleanup? Organize your own and use the Marine Debris Tracker!

Want to hear more from the NOAA MDP? Follow us on:

Facebook Logo

@NOAAMarineDebris

Twitter Logo

@NOAADebris

Instagram Logo

@NOAADebris

NOAA Logo

Website & Blog

Celebrating World Ocean Day with Optimism!

Ocean Aid 360

Participants celebrate their haul following a Ghost Trap Rodeo competition (Photo: Ocean Aid 360).

Marine debris is a global problem, and can sometimes feel overwhelming. With World Ocean Day just around the corner, we are spreading some ‘ocean optimism’ with projects that take action on marine debris, fuel our positivity, and give back to our ocean!

Learn More


New Maryland Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide

Maryland Response Guide

Damage in Havre de Grace, MD following Hurricane Isabel (Photo: Crystal Peyton, FEMA).

We are pleased to release the Maryland Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide! This Guide is a product of a collaborative process with local, state, and federal agencies and aims to improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following an acute waterway debris incident in coastal Maryland.

Learn More


Ditching Plastic Debris for our Feathered Friends

Tern Hawaii

A white tern sits atop a plastic basket on a beach on Laysan Island (Photo: NOAA).

When we think about marine debris, we often picture the turtles, fish, and marine mammals that are impacted by plastics, fishing gear, and other marine debris. But what about wildlife that spends its time above water? We are working with Environment for the Americas to raise awareness on the importance of migratory bird species, and the ways we can protect birds from the threat of plastic pollution and marine debris.

Learn More


Preparing for Hurricane Season

Hurricane Harvey

Debris from a home following Hurricane Harvey in Port Aransas, TX (Photo: NOAA).

Are you ready for the storm? Hurricane season is right around the corner, and severe weather producing strong winds, rain, and storm surge can threaten your safety and property. As you’re prepping for an incoming storm, keep these tips in mind to secure your home, and reduce the creation of storm-related debris.

Learn More


Reducing Marine Debris by Increasing Options

Kamilo Beach

Marine debris at Kamilo Beach (Photo: Dena Sedar).

You may bring a reusable bottle when you leave the house, ready to quench any thirst! But what happens when you can’t find a reliable place to refill it? Hawaii State Parks has been inspired by the marine debris piling up on beaches in Hawaii, and the easy access to water in Sydney, Australia, to install water bottle refilling stations in 15 State Parks.

Learn More


Turtle Trash Collectors Classroom Simulations

UNCW Turtles

Students from DC Virgo Preparatory Academy react as Instructor Kiran Sinha points out organs in the body of a stuffed turtle (Photo: Jeff Janowski).

When students enter the classroom with University of North Carolina Wilmington MarineQuest, the turtles may be stuffed, but the learning experience is far from artificial! With a ‘scalpel’ in hand, they become scientists and the impacts of marine debris to the animals they love becomes real.

Learn More


Creating Change through Youth in Alaskan Communities

CACS

Students from Skyview middle school sort the debris that they found on the beach to form a better idea of the items and materials involved (Photo: Henry Reiske, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies).

From bottles, to bags, and plastic foam trays, single-use items have become an everyday part of peoples’ lives, and a common sight on beaches around Alaska. The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies is working with students and community members in Southcentral Alaska to raise awareness and reduce plastic waste.

Learn More


After the Storm: Helping Georgia Recover

GADNR

Zulu Marine working to remove several hundred feet of wooden dock debris from the marsh in Glynn County, GA (Photo: NOAA).

The 2017 hurricane season was one of the most active and impactful on record. Hurricane Irma impacted more than 70% of Georgia’s coast, leaving large amounts of marine debris in its wake. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is working to clean up after the storm, by removing over 12 million pounds of debris from sensitive marshlands.

Learn More


Committed to Caretaking the Shores of Hawaii

Kamilo beach

A stretch of Kamilo Point prior to a 100m beach cleanup survey (Photo: Hawai'i Wildlife Fund).

The southern shoreline of Hawai‘i is inundated with plastic pollution - to the point that one area, routinely cleaned by volunteers, is sadly known as “Plastic Beach.” Hawaii Wildlife Fund is working to restore the name of this culturally rich stretch of coastline by working with volunteers to remove thousands of pounds of debris.

Learn More