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Artwork by Ella K. (Grade 2, Virginia), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
Are you a student or teacher who’s passionate about marine debris? Then get your art supplies ready, because there's still time to submit your entry to this year’s NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest! Students in grades K-8 from the United States and U.S. territories can submit their artwork by mail and electronically. Winning artwork will be featured in our 2024 Marine Debris Calendar! The 2023 Marine Debris Calendar featuring last year's winners is now available for download.
Art contest closes December 16th, 2022.
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Tanya’s new professional adventure at California Sea Grant leverages her educational background and experiences gained through her fellowship and time with the NOAA Marine Debris Program (Credit: Tanya Torres).
In 2020, Tanya Torres began her Extension Fellowship with the NOAA Marine Debris Program to help implement marine debris projects and strategies in California. Over the course of her fellowship, she had the opportunity to lead a statewide marine debris action plan and support many strategic internal efforts. Now, Tanya reflects on her recent Extension Fellowship experience and explains how it was a catalyst for her current position as the California Sea Grant Marine Debris Research Associate with the Sea Grant Program.
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One of fourteen vessels successfully removed from New Jersey’s Weehawken Cove (Credit: Courtesy of the City of Hoboken).
The Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States is a large, dynamic, and diverse place. Home to over 10,000 miles of coastline and spanning from Virginia to New York, it features major metropolitan areas, iconic coastal bays and estuaries, and an incredible array of wildlife and habitats. Unfortunately, seemingly everywhere we turn, marine debris can also be found. Debris litters the Mid-Atlantic waterways and coastlines, entangles and captures wildlife, scars habitats, and harms the regional economy.
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South Carolina Department of Natural Resources successfully removes an old trap while testing out the accuracy of their derelict gear mapping surveys (Credit: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources).
Fall has finally brought cooler temperatures after a long, brutally hot summer in the Southeast. Gone (for now) are cleanup days of sweat and sunblock-drenched clothes and bags that stick to your skin. This means tackling marine debris just became a little more enjoyable and a lot less sweaty! While you’re out enjoying these beautiful, crisp days, you may see our partners in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina out and about taking on the marine debris issue head-on. We’re excited to highlight some of their marine debris prevention and removal efforts.
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A South Carolina Department of Natural Resources biologist uses the side-scan sonar to map the Ashley River and identify derelict traps (Credit: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources).
Crabbing is a popular recreational activity and a valuable commercial industry in South Carolina. Traps become derelict when they are displaced or when their marking buoys are lost from events such as boat strikes, extreme weather, or equipment malfunction. The true number and distribution of derelict crab traps in coastal South Carolina remains unknown. A project led by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources aims to improve our understanding of the impact of derelict fishing gear in South Carolina by mapping intertidal and subtidal areas of four estuaries.
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A partially submerged abandoned vessel from Hurricane Florence is lifted with floats in an effort to remove and dispose of it (Credit: MainStream Divers).
Vessel removals are a big part of the ongoing cleanup efforts by the North Carolina Coastal Federation along North Carolina’s coast. Since 2019, nearly 100 abandoned and derelict vessels have been removed, along with tons of marine debris collected by commercial fishers. The total yield is an amazing 1,800 tons, or 3.6 million pounds, of debris cleaned out of coastal waters and habitats. While these removal efforts highlight the significant progress made by the project, marine debris continues to be a problem.
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![Artwork of a sandy beach with debris and seashells spelling out "Stop Debris, [love] Me".](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/USNOAANOS/2022/11/6672413/4409357/ella-k-artwork_crop.jpg)
