NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | January 2018

January 2018

The marine debris team removes derelict fishing nets from a beach in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Photo: NOAA).

In This Issue

Happy New Year!

2017 Accomplishments

Marine Debris & Corals

Innovative Removal Projects

Marine Debris Activity Book

Advocacy Competition

Upcoming Cleanups

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

January 6
SOLVE
Seaside Beach
Seaside, OR

January 6
Clean Ocean Access
Fort Adams State Park
Newport, RI

January 6
Ocean Hour
Bob Sikes Bridge
Gulf Breeze, FL

January 7
Save Our Shores
Davenport Beach
Davenport, CA

January 7
We Are Nature
Key Biscayne Beach Club
Miami, FL

January 7
Tybee Clean Beach
Marine Science Center
Tybee Island, GA

January 13
Mobile Baykeeper
One Mile Creek
Mobile, AL

January 13
Pacifica Beach Coalition
Sharp Park Beach
Pacifica, CA

January 13
Miami EcoAdventures
Crandon Park North Beach
Miami, FL

January 13
Florida State Parks
Bill Baggs Cape State Park
Key Biscayne, FL

January 13
Ocean Hour
Bay Bluffs Park
Pensacola, FL

January 13
Clean Ocean Access
Weaver Cove
Portsmouth, RI

January 13
808 Cleanups
Oneʻula Beach Park
Ewa Beach, O'ahu, HI

January 14
Clean Ocean Access
Sandy Point
Portsmouth, RI

January 15
I Love A Clean San Diego
Rose Teeple Memorial Park
Imperial Beach, CA

January 15
NYC Parks
Ferry Point Park
Bronx, New York, NY

January 19
Save Our Shores
Elkhorn Slough
Castroville, CA

January 20
Grassroots Garbage Gang
Long Beach Peninsula
Ocean Park, WA

January 20
Metro Parks Tacoma
Point Defiance
Tacoma, WA

January 20
Heal the Bay
Torrance Beach
Torrance, CA

January 20
NYC Parks
Graniteville Swamp Park
Staten Island, NY

January 21
Save Our Shores
Corcoran Lagoon Beach
Santa Cruz, CA

January 27
NYC Parks
Henry Hudson Park
Bronx, New York, NY

January 27
Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii
Kalapaki Bay Memorial Park
Lihue, Kauai, HI

January 27
808 Cleanups
Mokuleia Beach
Mokuleia, O'ahu, HI


January 28
Surfrider San Francisco
Baker Beach
San Francisco, CA

January 28
Sharkastics
Kukona Pl
Wailuku, Maui, HI

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

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Website & Blog

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

As another year comes to a close, we take this time to look back on our accomplishments and look forward to the year ahead. This year, the NOAA Marine Debris Program saw over 18,300 students involved in marine debris education and outreach and more than 1,600 metric tons of debris removed from our shores!

In 2018, we look forward to strengthening our efforts, fostering conversation at the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference, and continuing our fight against marine debris!

Learn More


2017 Accomplishments Report Now Available

2017 Accomplishments Report


The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to present our 2017 Accomplishments Report, which highlights some of our major accomplishments over the past year.

Learn More


How Reducing Litter Can Help Save Corals

Coral DFG
The marine debris team removes broken corals from a derelict fishing net (Photo: NOAA)


Coral reefs are diverse and important marine ecosystems, supporting a wide array of wildlife. Not only do they provide essential structure for habitats, but corals themselves are a unique and beautiful type of animal. Unfortunately, corals don’t have it easy. These animals are very sensitive to changes in their environment and are under threat by a preventable problem: marine debris.

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Innovative Marine Debris Removal Projects

GoAK Barge
A barge is loaded with "super sacks" filled with marine debris collected from remote Alaskan shorelines (Photo: Gulf of Alaska Keeper).


The marine debris community is resourceful and creative, and over time has developed a number of innovative removal methods. From diver surveys in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to using helicopters to remove marine debris in inaccessible parts of Alaska, these methods provide creative solutions to remove marine debris.

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Marine Debris Activity Book

Activity Book Cover


Stuck inside this season? Clear out the winter blues with this marine debris activity book! With an assortment of puzzles, brain-teasers and coloring activities, this activity book helps children understand the problem of marine debris while having fun at the same time.

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The Bow Seat Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition is Now Open!

Bow Seat Competition 1
Students from Irvine, California pose with "Maurice the Marine Debris Whale," an interactive sculpture created to educate the public about marine debris impacts on marine wildlife (Photo: Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs).


Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs is launching their second Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition! This competition is for U.S. middle or high school students who care about the issue of marine debris and want to make a difference in their community. 

Learn More