In This Issue

Research Grant Open

NOAA and NPS Team Up

TRASH TALK Watch Party

2021 Marine Debris Calendar

Cleaning up Maybeso Estuary

Art Contest Coming Soon

Digital Debris Resources

Learning, Languages, and Locations

Quick Links

Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
MDMAP Toolbox
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse

Marine Debris Tracker Mobile Application

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

Art Contest Coming Soon!

Artwork by Yufei F. (Grade 5, Michigan).

Get your art supplies ready, because our “Keep the Sea Free of Debris” art contest will be opening soon! The NOAA Marine Debris Program holds this annual art contest to engage K-8 students in raising awareness about marine debris. Visit our website on October 15 for more details on contest entry and submission requirements.

Digital Debris Educational Resources

Explore marine debris topics, such as garbage patches, right from home!

Parents, students, and teachers: did you know we have free activities, videos, and more, all available online? Learn about marine debris and have some fun, wherever you might be, with ‘digital debris’ educational resources for all ages!

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Learning Across Languages & Locations

Overflowing trash in dumpsters on the island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (Photo: Mariana Islands Nature Alliance).

Marine debris is a constant and challenging threat to communities all over the world. that's why we have educational resources that highlight the problem in different locations and languages. Whether you call it desechos marinos, ‘ōpala kai, or marine debris, we have resources for you! 

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Want to hear more from the NOAA MDP? Follow us on:

@NOAAMarineDebris

@NOAADebris

@NOAADebris

Website & Blog

Research Grant Opportunity Open

Marine debris found floating along the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail in Washington, D.C. (Photo: NOAA).

We are proud to announce our fiscal year 2021 Marine Debris Research notice of funding opportunity. NOAA will fund research projects that will investigate and identify the critical input pathways for marine debris introduction into the coastal zone, including evaluation of appropriate simultaneous pathways of riverine transport downstream, surface runoff, stormwater discharge, and wind-driven transport, as well as degradation and fragmentation of debris during transport. Projects should be original, hypothesis-driven projects that have not previously been addressed to scientific standards.

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NOAA and the National Park Service Team Up for Outreach

Volunteers participate in a shoreline cleanup at Cape Lookout National Seashore in North Carolina (Photo: Nate Toering/NPS).

We are excited to announce a new partnership with the National Park Service to support the development and installation of outreach and educational exhibits in coastal national parks. The exhibits will support marine debris prevention efforts and seek to raise awareness about the sources and impacts of marine debris, as well as encourage individuals to take action. 

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TRASH TALK Watch Party

Check out the TRASH TALK watch party today!

The NOAA Marine Debris Program's Mid-Atlantic and California Regional Coordinator's joined NOAA Ocean Today to explores the challenges and successes of keeping our rivers, bays and ocean free of marine debris. Great for students, parents, and teachers, this free and pre-recorded webinar is available in three segments where you can learn about marine debris, actions you can take in your community to help make a difference, and watch videos from our award-winning TRASH TALK collection!

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2021 Marine Debris Calendar Available

Download the 2021 Marine Debris Calendar on our website now! (Cover art by Sophie W., Grade 8, Michigan)

We are proud to announce that our 2021 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! This year’s calendar features artwork from thirteen students in kindergarten through eighth grade from nine states and two U.S. territories, all winners of the “Keep the Sea Free of Debris” art contest.

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Cleaning up Alaska’s Maybeso Estuary

Volunteers used their own boats and equipment to collect abandoned skiffs (Photo: Steve McCurdy, Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition Board Member).

At the Maybeso Estuary, a salt marsh near the community of Hollis on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, past logging operations and illegal dumping left considerable debris on the tideflats and along a salmon stream. Our partners at the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition teamed up with the Hollis Community Council, the Hollis Mine, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and many volunteers to clean up the debris and open access to the stream for salmon.

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