NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | March 2019

March 2019

Plastic bottles caps, cigar tips, shotgun wads, and other debris on a beach in the Great Lakes (Photo: NOAA)

In This Issue

Marine Debris and Mardi Gras

Fishing for Marine Debris in FL

Great Lakes Action Plan Summary Report

Transporting Invasive Species

Tackling Marine Debris in Florida and the Caribbean

Marine Debris in the Gulf of Mexico

Restoring Fish Habitat in the Pearl River

Quick Links

Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
MDMAP Toolbox
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse

Marine Debris Tracker Mobile Application

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Make a difference by using the Marine Debris Tracker app to record debris items you find.

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

Upcoming Cleanups

March 9
Mobile Baykeeper
One Mile Creek
Mobile, AL

March 9
Florida State Parks
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Key Biscayne, FL

March 9
Blue Ocean Society
Jenness Beach
Rye, NH

March 9
Clean Ocean Access
Weaver Cove
Portsmouth, RI

March 9
Lower Nehalem Community Trust
Nehalem Bay State Park
Wheeler, OR

March 10
Surfrider Newport
Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area
Otter Rock, OR

March 13
Surfrider Kauai
Donkey Beach
Anahola, Kauai, HI

March 14
SOLVE
Springwater Cooridor Trail
Portland, OR

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

March 16
Surfrider Ocean City
Ocean City Inlet Jetty
Ocean City, MD

March 16
Heal the Bay
Toes Beach
Los Angeles, CA

March 17
Pacifica Beach Coalition
Tunitas Creek Beach
Tunitas Creek, CA

March 17
Surfrider San Francisco
Ocean Beach
San Francisco, CA

March 23
Mississippi Coastal Cleanup
Washington Street Pier
Bay St. Louis, MS

March 23
Save Our Shores
Palm Beach State Park
Watsonville, CA

March 23
Ocean Hour
Quietwater Beach
Pensacola Beach, FL

March 23
Save the Bay
Salter Grove
Warwick, RI

March 24
Sharkastics
Kukona Pl
Wailuku, Maui, HI

March 24
Tybee Clean Beach
Marine Science Center
Tybee Island, GA

March 29
Washington State University Extension
Joseph Whidbey State Park
Oak Harbor, WA

March 30
NYC Parks
Pelham Bay Park
Bronx, NY

March 30
Waste Watchers of the Eastern Shore of Virginia
Bayside Road
Machipongo, VA

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

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Website & Blog

Marine Debris and Mardi Gras

Mardis Gras debris

Debris in a storm drain after a Mardi Gras celebration (Photo: Mobile Baykeeper).

It’s that time of year again… Mardi Gras parades, king cakes, and throws of plastic beads, moon pies, and more. What doesn’t get caught, however, ends up on the street and ultimately, in the storm drains that flow into streams, rivers, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.

Learn More


Fishing for Marine Debris in Florida

Ocean Aid 360 derelict crab pot

A Ghost Trap Rodeo volunteer works to retrieve a derelict trap (Photo: Ocean Aid 360).

In Tampa Bay, the rodeo has come to town, but you won't find any cowboys! Instead, Ocean Aid 360 is working with anglers off all ages to catch derelict fishing gear and other debris through their Ghost Trap Rodeo Event Series.

Learn More


Great Lakes Action Plan Summary Report

Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan 2018 Action Summary Report

Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan 2018 Action Summary Report.

We are proud to release the Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan 2018 Action Summary Report. This report highlights all the important work completed by Great Lakes partners, as the plan officially comes to a close in 2019. 

Learn More


Transporting Invasive Species

Misawa Dock Oregon

An array of marine life was found on this derelict dock from Japan that washed up on Agate Beach in Newport, Oregon (Photo: Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center).

Marine debris can swirl around our ocean for many years, but what happens when it starts to pick up hitch hikers? As more species travel to previously inaccessible areas on rafts made of our trash, it becomes more likely that some of these species may start to disrupt the ecosystems they colonize and become invasive.

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Tackling Marine Debris in Florida and the Caribbean

Eckerd College students

Eckerd College students raise their reusable tumblers to toast (Photo: Angelina Kossoff).

In Florida, taking on marine debris on land and in the water is all about community. That’s why our partners are tackling single-use plastics and derelict fishing gear with the helping hands of students, anglers, and other volunteers.

Learn More


Marine Debris in the Gulf of Mexico

Weeks Bay ADV

Abandoned and derelict vessels like this one are a hazard in the Weeks Bay estuary (Photo: Weeks Bay NERR).

With rivers flowing from as far as the Rocky Mountains and a huge ocean basin, marine debris in the Gulf of Mexico can come from a number of places far and near. Our partners in the region are tackling this challenge by removing dangerous derelict vessels, taking on large debris jams that block rivers, and even preventing trash from coastal restaurants.

Learn More


Restoring Fish Habitat in the Pearl River

Pearl River Abby Braman, Pearl Riverkeeper

Heavy equipment is being used to remove the largest pieces of debris from the Pearl River (Photo: Abby Braman, Pearl Riverkeeper).

The connection between upstream and coastal habitats is critical to the survival of many fish and wildlife species. That's why our partners are working to remove a jam in the Pearl River Basin, located in east-central and southwest Mississippi and in southeastern Louisiana, made up of woody debris and large man-made items, like abandoned and derelict vessels.

Learn More