NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | April 2019

April 2019

A mass of derelict fishing nets and other plastic pieces on Midway Atoll (Photo: NOAA).

In This Issue

Fishing for Energy Funding Opportunity

Clean Water for our HOMES

Spring Cleaning

2019 Calendar Available

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

Looking for Earth Day cleanup events? Keep an eye on our blog for more later this month!

April 6
I Love a Clean San Diego
Lake Jennings
Lakeside, CA

April 6
Pacific Beach Coalition
Rockaway Beach
Pacifica, CA

April 6
Save Our Shores
Sunset State Beach
Port Watsonville, CA

April 6
Ocean Hour
Naval Live Oaks Nature Preserve
Gulf Breeze, FL

April 6
Seaside Aquarium
Seaside Beach
Seaside, OR

April 6
Clean Ocean Access
Bailey Brook
Middletown, RI

April 6
Surfrider Virginia
Grommet Island Park
Virginia Beach, VA

April 7
Surfrider San Francisco
Ocean Beach
San Francisco, CA

April 7
Coastal Steward Long Island
Mt. Sinai Harbor
Brookhaven, NY

April 9
Surfrider Kaua'i
Anahola Beach
Anahola, Kaua'i

April 13
Save Our Shores
Hidden Beach
Rio Del Mar, CA

April 13
Florida State Parks
Bill Baggs Florida State Park
Key Biscayne, FL

April 13
Ocean Hour
Chimney Park
Pensacola, FL

April 13
Hawaii Wildlife Fund
Manuka Natural Area Reserve
Captain Cook, Big Island, HI

April 13
Alliance for the Great Lakes
31st Street Beach
Chicago, IL

April 13
Clean Ocean Action
Locations across New Jersey

April 13
Blue Ocean Society
Jenness State Beach
Rye, NH

April 13
Texas Adopt-A-Beach
Locations across coastal Texas

April 14
Tybee Clean Beach
Marine Science Center
Tybee, GA

April 14
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Evanston Lighthouse Beach
Evanston, IL

April 14
Team RWB Tri-Cities
Bay City State Park
Bay City, MI

April 14
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Sims Park Beach
Euclid, OH

April 27
Pacific Beach Coalition
Pillar Point Park
Half Moon Bay, CA

April 27
I Love a Clean San Diego
Locations across San Diego County, CA

April 27
Hui O Ho’ohonua
Kapapapuhi Point Park
Ewa Beach, O'ahu, HI

April 27
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Highland Park Rosewood Beach
Highland Park, IL

April 27
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Grand Haven State Park
Grand Haven, MI

April 27
Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
Ocean Springs Front Beach
Ocean Springs, MS

April 27
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Buffalo Harbor State Park
Buffalo, NY

April 27
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Hamburg Town Beach
Hamburg, NY

April 27
Save the Bay
Pawtuxet Park
Warwick, RI

April 27
Puget Soundkeeper
Myrtle Edwards Park
Seattle, WA

April 28
Sharkastics
Kukona Place
Wailuku, Maui, HI

April 28
Mermaid Straw
Indiana Dunes State Park
Chesterton, IN

April 28
Alliance for the Great Lakes
Deland Park Beach
Sheboygan, WI


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

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Website & Blog

Fishing for Energy Funding Opportunity

Derelict crab pots are removed from coastal waters. (Photo Credit: Elizabeth Zimmermann, Stockton University)

Fishers work to remove derelict crab traps (Photo: Elizabeth Zimmermann, Stockton University).

We are pleased to announce the 2019 Request for Proposals for the Fishing for Energy Partnership is now open! This opportunity provides funding to support strategies to reduce the impacts of derelict fishing gear to marine and coastal environments and navigational safety through removal efforts and innovation in gear technology.

Learn More


Clean Water for our HOMES

SUNY Fredonia

Microplastics found in Lake Erie (Photo: SUNY Fredonia).

Water is our most precious resource, and in the Great Lakes, over 40 million people depend on HOMES (or Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior) for drinking water from this system that contains a fifth of the world’s fresh water. Unfortunately, this incredibly important resource is also home to some of the highest concentrations of microplastics in the world.

Learn More


Spring Cleaning for Ourselves and Our Ocean

Tobias Tullius

Instead of overloading trash and recycling bins, ask yourself if your trash could be someone else's treasure (Photo: Tobias Tullius via Unsplash).

It’s spring, and for many that means it’s time to clear out the dust and get cleaning! As you clean, think about these questions for creative ways to repurpose, recycle, and reduce waste to keep not only your home clean, but our ocean and Great Lakes too.

Learn More


2019 Calendar Available

Download the 2019 Marine Debris Calendar on our website now! (Cover art by art contest winner Emma M., Grade 6, Pennsylvania)

Download the 2019 Marine Debris Calendar on our website now! (Cover art by art contest winner Emma M., Grade 6, Pennsylvania).

The 2019 Marine Debris Calendar is still available for download! This year’s calendar features artwork from thirteen students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, all winners of the “Keep the Sea Free of Debris” art contest. 

Learn More