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Derelict fishing gear can continue to "fish" after it is no longer in use (Photo: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission).
The NOAA Marine Debris Program, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and Covanta announced the 2020 Request for Proposals from the Fishing for Energy Partnership to provide up to $500,000 in grant funding to support strategies that reduce the impacts of derelict fishing gear on marine and coastal environments and navigational safety. The deadline for full proposals is Tuesday, March 31, 2020.
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2020 Sea Grant Knauss Fellow, Amanda Dwyer (Photo: NOAA).
We are happy to welcome our new Sea Grant Knauss Fellow, Amanda Dwyer! The Knauss fellowship provides a unique, educational, and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in the ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. During her year with us, Amanda will focus on a new initiative to reduce waste throughout NOAA’s National Ocean Service offices in Silver Spring.
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Microplastics on a beach (Photo: NOAA).
The National Science Foundation is encouraging the submission of proposals that tackle some of the fundamental scientific questions underlying micro- and nanoplastic characterization, behavior, and reactivity in the environment, as well as their elimination from land and water systems.
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A diver swims over the top of the Cocos Lagoon tire reef (Photo: Guam Environmental Protection Agency).
In Guam’s Cocos Lagoon, thousands of tires sit abandoned after a 1969 project to increase fish stocks with an artificial reef did not produce results. Now, more than 50 years later, the tire reef still stands, posing a safety hazard during storms and leaching heavy metals into the surrounding lagoon. Through a NOAA Marine Debris Program Removal grant, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency will remove and dispose of approximately 2,500 tires within Cocos Lagoon.
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Beads and debris on a storm drain the morning after Mardi Gras can cause blockages and increase street flooding (Photo: Elizabeth Englebretson, Plastic Free Gulf Coast).
Mardi Gras is an exciting time filled with parties, parades, and beads. Unfortunately, these celebrations can also come with lots of litter! This year, Mississippi Coastal Cleanup and Plastic Free Gulf Coast teamed up to take on the waste with their Cleanup Krewe float, which helped clear the beads and throws left behind.
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Derelict crab traps collected during a clean up with local crabbers (Photo: Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey).
Stretching from New York to Virginia, the Mid-Atlantic region is home to the largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay. Fishing and crabbing are prominent commercial and recreational activities across the region, where many livelihoods depend on healthy fisheries. Unfortunately, derelict fishing gear and lost crab pots can threaten these important resources by continuing to capture and kill wildlife, damage sensitive habitats, and even compete with and damage active fishing gear.
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Debris affects the entire Pacific, even uninhabited islands, like those in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Photo: NOAA).
The Pacific Ocean bonds and connects many islands and people throughout the region. These communities share in the art and science of traditional navigation, which has fostered an intimate attachment to the ocean over many generations. Today, these island communities also share in the struggle of mitigating marine debris as they work to protect the ocean.
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Abandoned boat debris can be found in the salt marsh (Photo: New York City Parks and Recreation).
Spanning over 18,000 acres, Jamaica Bay is one of New York City’s unique estuaries for conservation and urban recreation. It’s almost the size of Manhattan and is surrounded by the Rockaway Peninsula, Brooklyn, and Queens. Unfortunately, abandoned boats, construction debris, and litter are scattered throughout the Bay, degrading and damaging important habitat. New York City Parks and Recreation are working hard to ensure a cleaner Jamaica Bay for future generations and improve habitat by taking on the debris.
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