NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | February 2019

February 2019

Abandoned boat on Kure Atoll in Hawaii (Photo: Naomi Worcester, DLNR/DOFAW).

In This Issue

Hawaii Action Plan

Disposal Challenges in AK

Texas Emergency Response

Movements of Microplastics

2019 Calendar Available

Become a Citizen Scientist!

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

February 8
Save Our Shores
Elkhorn Slough
Moss Landing, CA

February 8
Texas Adopt-A-Beach
Edwin Atwood Park
South Padre Island, TX

February 9
I Love a Clean San Diego
Hourglass Community Park
San Diego, CA

February 9
Ocean Hour
Bay Bluffs Park
Pensacola, FL

February 9
Blue Ocean Society
Jenness State Beach
Rye, NH

February 9
Surfrider Eastern Long Island
Tiana Beach
Hampton Bays, NY

February 9
Clean Ocean Access
Sachuest Beach
Purgatory, RI

February 9
Texas Adopt-A-Beach
Multiple locations in the coastal bend of Texas

February 11
Biscayne National Park
Homestead, FL

February 15
Washington State University Extension
Deception Pass State Park
Oak Harbor, WA

February 16
Heal the Bay
Venice Beach
Venice, CA

February 16
808 Cleanups
Kahuku Golf Course Beach
Kahuku, O'ahu, HI

February 16
Surfrider Eastern Long Island
67 Steps Beach
Greenport, NY

February 16
Surfrider Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, VA

February 16
Metroparks Tacoma
Point Defiance
Tacoma, WA

February 17
Surfrider San Francisco
Ocean Beach
San Francisco, CA

February 17
MOC Marine Institute
Wailuku, Maui, HI

February 17
Mazamas
Devil's Punch Bowl State Natural Area
Depoe Bay, OR

February 20
808 Cleanups
Pōkaʻī Bay Beach Park
Waianae, O'ahu, HI

February 20
Puget Soundkeeper
Northwest Outdoor Center
Seattle, WA

February 22
Washington State University Extension
Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Coupeville, WA

February 23
Ocean Hour
Fort Pickens
Gulf Breeze, FL

February 23
Surfrider Kaua'i
Kapaa, Kaua'i, HI

February 23
Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
Fort Maurepas Beach Front
Ocean Springs, MS

February 24
Sharkastics
Kukona Place
Wailuku, Maui, HI

February 27
Puget Soundkeeper
Northwest Outdoor Center
Seattle, WA

February 28
SOLVE
Old Town
Portland, OR

March 1
Washington State University Extension
Double Bluff County Park
Freeland, WA

March 2
Surfrider Eastern Long Island
Montauk, NY

March 2
Clean Ocean Access
Brenton Point
Newport, RI

March 9
Mobile Baykeeper
One Mile Creek
Mobile, AL

 

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

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Website & Blog

2018 Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan

2018 Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan

Check out the fifth update of the Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan.

We are pleased to share the fifth and final update to the current 10-year Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan! This document is the result of a productive and collaborative effort between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and regional partners, including representatives from governments, non-profits, academia, and the private sector. It includes partners’ shared goals, strategies to achieve those goals, and corresponding actions for the next two years.

Learn More 


Disposal Challenges in the Bering Sea

Port Heiden Tribal Environmental Marine Debris Program

In the beautiful remote reaches of Alaska, disposing of debris is harder than collecting it (Photo: Port Heiden Tribal Environmental Marine Debris Program).

The small, remote communities that dot Alaska’s coastline and Bering Sea islands can be as harsh as they are beautiful. The Marine Debris Program has partners in these regions that are hardy and hard-working, but marine debris can still be a huge challenge. The remoteness of these places and the severe weather means that disposing of the debris is one of the biggest issues. We talked to partners in three Bering Sea communities about what happens to the debris once it’s removed from the ocean and shoreline.

Learn More


Texas Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide

Texas Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide

The Texas Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide completes our guides for the Gulf states.

We are pleased to release the “Texas Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document," the final emergency response guide for the Gulf of Mexico states. The Texas 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 Texas.

Learn More


The Movements of Microplastics

Microplastics Gulf of Mexico

This sample collected from the Gulf of Mexico contains microplastics (Photo: NOAA).

We know animals out in the ocean are eating plastic, and many of us have seen the pictures of plastic in the bellies of sea birds, sea turtles, and whales. Larger pieces of plastic can become stuck in an animal’s stomach, making it hard for them to eat. But what happens to microplastics once they are ingested by wildlife?

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 NOAA Marine Debris Program 2019 Marine Debris Calendar is 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


Become a Citizen Scientist!

MDMAP Toolbox

What's Inside the MDMAP Get Started Toolbox?

Want to contribute to our marine debris efforts through citizen science? Open up the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Toolbox and see what’s inside to help you get started!

Learn More