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Volunteers trek out large amounts of debris from remote shorelines of California's Northern Channel Islands (Credit: Joe Forrest).
About 70% of Californians believe their ocean and beaches are very important to California’s future and report that plastics and marine debris are a big problem on a coast near them. As a result, organizations, individuals, and volunteers from across the state are contributing an enormous and noble amount of time and energy to make California a national leader on addressing and preventing marine debris.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program provides support by funding various partners involved in marine debris research, prevention, and removal throughout California. These partners include local universities, non-profits, and state and federal agencies that make up the many hands that are taking bold and creative steps to address marine debris from all angles.
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Bottle caps, straws, cigarette butts, and other debris removed from the shoreline of Lake Erie in Ohio (Credit: NOAA).
In order to help raise awareness of the issue of marine debris in the Great Lakes, we’re excited to be offering the Ohio Marine Debris Art Challenge for students in grades 6-12 in coastal Ohio! After learning about marine debris in the ocean and Great Lakes, and how we all may be contributing with our trash, students will create marine debris artwork from repurposed trash to showcase the impacts of marine debris on Lake Erie wildlife. Entries are due on April 15, 2022.
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Marine debris impacts every environment across the Great Lakes region, including wetlands, rivers, tributaries, and shorelines (Credit: NOAA).
Throughout the year, the NOAA Marine Debris Program will spotlight each region for an entire month. Take a look back at the Great Lakes projects we highlighted in February.
The Great Lakes region, with its beautiful coastlines, diverse wildlife, and stunning vistas is not immune to marine debris concerns. Fortunately, our numerous partners in the region are hard at work addressing the issues of plastics, fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, and other debris that impact the environment.
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Save the Date! The 7th International Marine Debris Conference will take place September 18-23, 2022, in Busan, Republic of Korea.
The 7th International Marine Debris Conference (7IMDC) will take place September 18-23, 2022 in Busan, Republic of Korea. This conference is one of the world’s largest and longest-running events dedicated to the issue of marine debris. The 7IMDC is organized by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Korea Marine Environment Management Corporation, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The 7IMDC Call for Abstracts and Posters will open soon. Learn more on the 7IMDC website or sign up to receive more information and updates.
Microplastics may be small (less than 5mm), but they can cause big problems (Credit: NOAA).
Some kinds of marine debris are really obvious on our shorelines, such as abandoned boats, old fishing nets, and plastic bottles. But what about the really little stuff? The plastic debris that we call microplastics. Take a closer look at our tiniest marine debris and find out what microplastics are, how they get into the environment, and why they’re bad news for marine wildlife.
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A seal, seen in the distance, is only a couple feet away from discarded fishing nets that cover a coral reef in Hawai'i waters (Credit: NOAA).
Today is World Wildlife Day, and a good time to reflect on how marine debris is a global issue that affects many kinds of animals, including marine mammals, sea turtles, birds, and fish. Entanglement and ghost fishing are two of the most serious threats that marine debris can pose to wildlife. Find out more about how debris such as lost fishing gear can entangle and capture wildlife.
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Over 60 species native to coastal Japan were found on this derelict dock that washed up on Agate Beach in Newport, Oregon (Credit: Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center).
This week is National Invasive Species Awareness Week, and a good opportunity to highlight another reason why we need to work so hard to prevent marine debris. Did you know that floating marine debris can transport non-native species to our shores? Imagine a dock covered in life traveling all the way from Japan to Oregon - it happened! Find out more about plant and animal life hitchhiking on debris.
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