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Firework debris left on the beach after a Fourth of July celebration (Photo: NOAA).
If you're enjoying the Fourth of July near the water this weekend, don't forget to keep your celebrations from becoming marine debris! Here are some easy steps that you can take to help keep our ocean, waterways, and beaches free of debris.
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A cleanup crew sorts debris on St. Paul Island in 2019 (Photo: Aleut Community of St. Paul Island).
For some, marine debris may simply be an unsightly inconvenience, but for many people around the world it is a critical problem that can affect all aspects of life. This is particularly true for indigenous communities, whose deep understanding of and reliance on the natural environment and ocean, for subsistence, cultural connection, recreation, and economic opportunities, makes them especially aware of the damaging effects of marine debris. Community regional expertise on the impacts of marine debris and nuanced relationships with the environment shape many NOAA Marine Debris Program-supported projects around the country.
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Check out the TRASH TALK series to answer all your questions about marine debris (Photo: NOAA).
June was Ocean Month, and we ended the month of celebration by exploring some Ocean Trivia. Check out these activities, lessons, and resources that use curiosity and inquiry to answer your questions about marine debris.
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Removal of entangling net and line debris from a Kodiak shoreline in Alaska (Photo: Island Trails Network).
The name Alaska comes from the Aleut alaxsxaq meaning “the mainland,” or more specifically “the object towards which the action of the sea is directed.” Alaska’s position relative to ocean, wind, and current patterns combined with the significant and growing amounts of maritime transport and fishing activity in the surrounding waters, means that huge amounts of marine debris are directed onto Alaskan shores every year. Fortunately, there is an active, dedicated, and innovative community of individuals and organizations working on and responding to the issue of marine debris in the state.
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Alaska's Amalik Bay, one of the numerous bays of the Katmai Coast impacted by marine debris (Photo: Eugene Zarakhovsky).
The Ocean Plastics Recovery Project, in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, will lead a team of scientists, students, artists, and plastics recycling and recovery experts on the first of several marine debris cleanup expeditions to Katmai National Park in Alaska. The cleanups, planned for 2021-2022, will be the largest marine debris removal effort in Katmai to date and has the goal to remove over 25 tons of ocean plastics from the marine environment and improve approximately 500 acres of coastal habitat for the salmon, bears, and all wild inhabitants of the 4,000,000-acre park.
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An abandoned vessel discovered in Masonboro Sound, North Carolina, following Hurricane Florence (Photo: Tracy Skrabal).
Summer is here in the Southeast, and that means fun in the sun, ice-cold lemonade, and big hair (thanks a lot, humidity!). With more people out and about, that can also mean more marine debris on our sandy beaches and expansive meandering marshes. Fortunately, our partners in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina are tackling the marine debris issue head on through prevention and removal efforts, and we’re excited to highlight some of those efforts.
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The sailboat, Rolling on the River, abandoned at a dock and awaiting removal in Oriental, North Carolina (Photo: North Carolina Coastal Federation).
For the first time ever, North Carolina is mounting a comprehensive effort to address and remove abandoned and derelict vessels that blight the coast, pose navigational hazards, and degrade important coastal habitats. The North Carolina Coastal Federation is partnering with the NOAA Marine Debris Program and other federal, state, and local partners to take the first important steps to document and remove these vessels.
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An amusement park crafted from repurposed trash took first place in the Ohio Marine Debris Challenge (Photo: NOAA).
The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the sixth annual Ohio Marine Debris Challenge! This year, middle and high school students from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastal communities completed lessons and created artwork to raise awareness about the global problem of marine debris, especially in the Great Lakes. Students were challenged to create original artwork using repurposed trash that showcased Cedar Point Amusement Park’s 150th Anniversary.
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Abandoned and derelict vessels, like this one in Charleston Harbor, can be the source of oil and hazmat issues (Photo: Peter Kingsley-Smith).
The July webinar in our Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels series is coming up! This month's webinar will focus on oil and hazmat issues. Join us at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, July 28, 2021.
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