NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | October 2021

A marine debris removal team member cuts a large net from a reef.

A marine debris removal team member cuts a large net from a reef at Hōlanikū in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Credit: NOAA).

In This Issue

FY 2022 Grant Opportunity

25 New Projects Awarded Funding

Washington Marine Debris Action Plan Released

2022 Marine Debris Calendar

A Mission to Mālama Through Marine Debris Removal

Salvaging Solutions October Webinar 

Quick Links

Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
MDMAP Toolbox
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse

Marine Debris Tracker Mobile Application

Marine Debris Tracker App

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

2021 Ocean Fun Days

18th Annual Ocean Fun Day 2021 Logo with Sea Turtle on the left and Beach Ball.

Join the NOAA Fisheries James J. Howard Lab and partners to celebrate New Jersey’s coastal environment this October during Ocean Fun Days! This virtual event will be packed with all kinds of fun activities, contests, and prizes for children of all ages through the entire month of October.

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Website & Blog

Now Open: FY 2022 Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Prevention Projects

A collection of assorted single-use plastic lake debris.

Single-use plastics removed from the Great Lakes (Credit: NOAA).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce our FY 2022 Marine Debris Prevention notice of funding opportunity. NOAA will fund prevention projects that actively engage and educate a target audience (such as students, teachers, industries, etc.) in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention, and encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris. NOAA will also fund projects in the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada border regions, subject to additional eligibility criteria. Letters of Intent for this opportunity are due October 29, 2021.

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The NOAA Marine Debris Program Awards Funding to 25 New Projects

Plastic bags, fishing traps, buoys, and other debris piled up on a shoreline of Eastern Egg Rock, Maine.

Plastic bags, fishing traps, buoys, and other debris on a New England shoreline (Credit: National Audubon Society Seabird Restoration Program).

Following a highly competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce the 25 recipients of our 2021 Removal, Research, and North America Marine Debris Prevention and Removal Grant awards totaling approximately $7.3 million in federal funds. Federal funding is matched by non-federal contributions, bringing the total investment of these marine debris projects to approximately $14.7 million.

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2021 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan Released

Derelict crab pot fishing gear recovered from the water.

Derelict fishing gear, such as crab traps, are an issue in many of Washington State's waterways (Credit: Makah Tribe).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to share the 2021 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan. This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the Marine Debris Program and federal and state governments, tribes, nongovernmental organizations, industry, and academia, and represents a partner-led effort to guide marine debris actions in Washington State for the next two years.

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2022 Marine Debris Calendar is Now Available!

Student artwork features sea creatures swimming through a coral reef away from a derelict net, accompanied by a dolphin filled with marine debris.

Download the 2022 Marine Debris Calendar on our website now! (Cover art by Jeewoo S., Grade 8, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce that our 2022 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! This year’s calendar features artwork from thirteen students in kindergarten through eighth grade from eight states and two U.S. territories, all winners of the “Keep the Sea Free of Debris” art contest.

Feeling inspired to submit art for our next calendar? This year’s NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest officially opens on October 18th!

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A Mission to Mālama Through Marine Debris Removal

Marine debris team members lay on the 124,000 pounds of marine debris removed during their mission.

The marine debris team with the nearly 124,000 pounds of debris removed from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Credit: NOAA).

September 22nd marked the completion of the marine debris removal mission in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The marine debris removal team arrived at Pearl Harbor aboard the charter vessel IMUA along with the nearly 124,000 pounds of marine debris they removed during their 30-day mission. Marine debris removal is of critical importance to both the natural and cultural components of the monument. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to have partnered in this collaborative undertaking.

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Salvaging Solutions: ADV Policies and Info Hub Reflections

A researcher records data while standing near an abandoned vessel in tall grass.

A researcher records data on an abandoned vessel in Dog River, Alabama (Credit: Dauphin Island Sea Lab).

The October webinar in our Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels series is coming up! This month's Salvaging Solutions webinar will focus on discussing a policy white paper developed while establishing a new abandoned and derelict vessels program in Virginia. In addition, the NOAA Marine Debris Program will provide a brief overview of the Abandoned and Derelict Vessels Info Hub. Join us at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, October 27, 2021.

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