NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | September 2021

A Hawaiian monk seal plays in a large derelict fishing net mass.

An endangered Hawaiian monk seal playing near a mass of derelict fishing gear off of Pearl and Hermes Atoll (Manawai, Holoikauaua) in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Credit: NOAA).

In This Issue

FY 2022 Grant Opportunity

Marine Debris Removal Mission

Sea Grant Program Marine Debris Awards

Fishing for Energy Awards

International Coastal Cleanup

Salvaging Solutions September Webinar 

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Now Open: FY 2022 Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Removal Projects

Two people removing derelict fishing nets from a beach.

Derelict fishing nets are removed from a beach in Oregon (Credit: Oregon Surfrider).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce our FY 2022 Marine Debris Removal notice of funding opportunity. Projects awarded through the removal grant competition will create long-term, quantifiable ecological habitat improvements for NOAA trust resources, with priority consideration for efforts targeting derelict fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, and other medium- and large-scale debris. NOAA will also fund projects in the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada border regions, subject to additional eligibility criteria. Letters of Intent for this opportunity are due September 24, 2021.

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Marine Debris Removal Mission Begins in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

A marine debris removal team pulls a large derelict net mass out of the water at Midway Atoll.

A marine debris removal team pulls a large derelict net mass out of the water at Midway Atoll (Credit: NOAA).

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (monument) is integral to Native Hawaiian culture and is a sacred landscape. Unfortunately, marine debris has and continues to pose a significant threat to its natural and cultural resources. We are pleased to support the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Debris Project team as they launch a 30-day mission in the monument with support from the non-profit Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project. 

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Sea Grant Programs Awarded Funds for Marine Debris Projects

Assorted plastic debris collected and organized in piles on the ground by a small group of people.

Assorted plastic debris collected in a cleanup around the Great Lakes (Credit: NOAA).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce with the National Sea Grant College Program six awards for projects that prevent marine debris from entering marine, coastal, and Great Lakes environments around the country. The six competitively selected projects cover the southeast Atlantic, Pacific and Great Lakes waters, coming from Florida, Georgia, Hawai'i, Illinois-Indiana, Puerto Rico, and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs.

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The Fishing for Energy Program Announces Grant Awards to Reduce Derelict Fishing Gear

A pile of derelict fishing gear on a rocky shore, including wire traps and foam floats.

Wire traps and foam floats are among the kinds of derelict fishing gear that are commonly lost, abandoned, or discarded in the marine environment (Credit: NOAA).

The Fishing for Energy Program, a partnership of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Covanta, and Schnitzer Steel, awarded eight grants to support activities in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Oregon that reduce the amount of derelict fishing gear in the marine environment. These grants will support the installation and maintenance of collection bins for fishing gear, which is then recycled or converted into energy.

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International Coastal Cleanup Coming Soon

A NOAA team member holds up bags of collected trash from a cleanup.

Stay safe by cleaning individually or in small groups (Credit: NOAA).

It’s almost that time of year—time for the 36th annual International Coastal Cleanup! The Ocean Conservancy brings people together around the globe for this event to clean up marine debris in their local communities, and the NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to have supported the International Coastal Cleanup for 15 years. To find a cleanup near you, and steps for staying safe while collecting debris, check out Ocean Conservancy's website.


Salvaging Solutions: ADV Info Hub Reflections

A researcher records data while standing near an abandoned vessel in tall grass.

A researcher records data on an abandoned vessel in Dog River, Alabama (Credit: Dauphin Island Sea Lab).

The September webinar in our Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels series is coming up! This month's Salvaging Solutions webinar will focus on the Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Info Hub. Join us at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, September 22, 2021.

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