A collage of student murals from the 2021-2022 school year (Credit: Kōkua Hawai`i Foundation).
Submitted by: Lisa Jeffers-Fabro, Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation
Kōkua Hawai‘i Foundation's Plastic Free Hawai‘i School Mural Contest is now open! This year's theme is "From Waste to Resource". Local K-12 students are invited to utilize marine debris, plastic material, and other single-use items from cleanups or waste recovery efforts into ART! Give these items a second life by showcasing how you can reduce waste and inspire solutions toward solving plastic pollution. Murals will be exhibited at the Plastic Free Hawai‘i Mural Art Show from April 13-15th in Hale‘iwa, Hawai‘i.
Entry deadline: February 24th, 2023
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Derelict fishing gear conglomerate snagged on coral in Kāneʻohe Bay on March 24, 2021 (Credit: Rachel Sandquist).
Submitted by: Kellie R. Teague, Hawai'i Pacific University's Center for Marine Debris Research
On January 9, 2023, the Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU) Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) launched a project, supported in part by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, to remove derelict fishing gear (DFG) from the ocean. CMDR has partnered with the Hawai‘i Longline Association and Hawai‘i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources with a goal of removing 100 metric tons of DFG from the central North Pacific over the next two years by offering a bounty (between $1 and $3 per dry pound) to eligible commercial fishermen. This endeavor follows the success of a trial bounty period that CMDR ran from 2020 to 2021. By incentivizing the removal of DFG at sea, CMDR hopes to mitigate the potential environmental harm posed by DFG.
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Volunteers participating in the Annual North Shore Cleanup (Credit: Jasmine Buerano, Freelance Photographer).
Submitted by: Sydney Millerd, Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i
Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i (SCH) wrapped up 2022 and held its Annual North Shore Cleanup at Mālaekahana State Recreation Area on December 3, 2022. This final large-scale cleanup of the year gathered nearly 200 people from around the island. Together, 500 pounds of trash was collected, including microplastics and commercial fishing debris.
These events are about more than cleaning the beach; SCH strives to make them about having fun and building community. With that in mind, a pre-cleanup outdoor yoga class was held for participants, with a post-cleanup after party right down the road at Kahuku Beer Garden. It was a night full of games, arts and crafts, entertainment, and celebrating community.
Learn more about SCH and events like this on our website.
Download the 2023 Marine Debris Calendar on our website now! (Cover art by: Betty L., Grade 8, Florida).
The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce that our 2023 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! Our annual art contest aims to get students thinking about how marine debris impacts our ocean and Great Lakes, and what they can do to help. 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.
Visit our website to view the winning entries and download and print the 2023 Marine Debris Calendar!
Sailboat grounded in Florida (Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission).
Experts from across the country shared their experiences, solutions, and lessons learned through the NOAA Marine Debris Program's Salvaging Solutions to Abandoned and Derelict Vessels monthly webinar series to help communities facing abandoned and derelict vessel issues. We are pleased to share that the full webinar series is now available on our website.
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The articles written by partners are not the opinions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and do not imply that NOAA recommends or endorses those expressed by partner organizations. These opinions and their associated actions will be carried out by interested partner organizations and are not affiliated with NOAA or the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
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