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March 2023
 Hurricane related derelict vessel in St. Croix. This vessel was removed with funds from NOAA MDP. Credit: NOAA
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Welcome to the Newsletter - Bienvenidos al boletín informativo
Meet your Regional Coordinator - Conoce a tu Coordinadora Regional
NOAA Marine Debris Program - Programa de Desechos Marinos de NOAA
USVI Marine Debris Initiatives
Collaborating on Removing Derelict Fishing Gear Benefits Our Marine Environment and Our Fisheries
A Learning Exchange to Fight Against Derelict Fishing Gear in the Caribbean
Multisectoral Collaboration on Aquatic Debris Strategy Development for Puerto Rico - Distintos Colaboradores se unen para crear el Plan Estratégico de Desechos Acuáticos de Puerto Rico
Have You Heard About Marine Debris Monitoring in the Caribbean?
Coming up - Próximamente
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Welcome to the Newsletter |
Marine debris can come in different forms and sizes. From microplastics to barges, they pose a threat to our ecosystems, safety and economy. Residents of the Caribbean face additional difficulties due to hurricane impacts, dependency on imports, and limited infrastructure. Still, our partners in the Caribbean are finding ways to prevent marine debris and reduce its adverse impacts. With the Marine Debris in the Caribbean Newsletter we aim to highlight the initiatives of our collaborators from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to work against marine debris in our beloved coastlines. In this first issue you will learn about the plans and actions to reduce debris, derelict fishing gear, monitoring and collaboration opportunities. In the following issues we intend to keep sharing the great work and also funding, training and collaboration opportunities. Stay tuned! |
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Bienvenidos al boletín informativo |
Los desechos marinos pueden presentarse en diferentes formas y tamaños. Desde microplásticos hasta barcazas, éstos representan una amenaza para nuestros ecosistemas, seguridad y economía. Los residentes del Caribe enfrentan dificultades adicionales debido a los impactos de los huracanes, la dependencia en productos importados y la infraestructura limitada. Aún así, nuestros socios en el Caribe están encontrando formas de prevenir los desechos marinos y reducir sus impactos adversos. Con este Boletín de Desechos Marinos en el Caribe, nuestro objetivo es destacar las iniciativas de nuestros colaboradores de Puerto Rico y las Islas Vírgenes de los Estados Unidos para trabajar en la lucha contra los desechos marinos en nuestras queridas costas. En este primer número, compartiremos planes comunitarios y acciones que se están llevando a cabo para reducir los desechos, proyectos relacionados a arte de pesca abandonados y monitoreo, y las oportunidades de colaboración. En las próximas ediciones del boletín, tenemos la intención de seguir compartiendo el gran trabajo que se está realizando en torno a los desechos marinos en el Caribe, y las oportunidades de financiación, capacitación y colaboración. ¡Manténganse al tanto! |
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Meet your Regional Coordinator
Yaritza Rivera-Torres
NOAA Marine Debris Program Caribbean Regional Coordinator
yaritza.rivera@noaa.gov
 Marine debris can harm wildlife, like this endangered leatherback seaturtle. (Credit: Chelonia, Investigación y Conservación de Tortugas Marinas)
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Hi, I am Yaritza Rivera-Torres. I have been working with the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) since 2019, previously as the Hurricane Response Coordinator and currently as the Caribbean Regional Coordinator. As far back as I can remember, I have had a passion for environmental protection and education. I grew up in central Puerto Rico, but visits to the ocean with my family as a child (and yes, reruns of Undersea World by Jacques Cousteau) sparked my interest in the marine environment, which led me to enroll in the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez where I earned a Master of Science in Biological Oceanography.
My interest in preventing marine debris was sparked at a young age when I discovered debris such as single-use plastics, fishing lines, and even packaging from other countries on remote beaches. This early exposure led me to pursue these concepts throughout my career. As a former educator at Puerto Rico Sea Grant and a biology professor, I had the opportunity to learn more about coastal construction debris issues and its impacts on wildlife. Before joining the NOAA MDP, I was able to understand the issue even better while working with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources to create a protocol for dealing with abandoned vessels. I am excited to keep collaborating with you all in the many projects to keep our Caribbean coasts free of debris!
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Conoce a tu Coordinadora Regional
Yaritza Rivera-Torres
NOAA Marine Debris Program Caribbean Regional Coordinator
yaritza.rivera@noaa.gov
 Yaritza by a hurricane impacted pier at Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (Credit: NOAA)
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Hola soy Yaritza Rivera Torres. He estado trabajando con el Programa de Desechos Marinos (MDP) de la NOAA desde 2019, anteriormente como Coordinadora de Respuesta a Huracanes y actualmente como Coordinadora Regional del Caribe. Desde que tengo memoria, la protección y la educación ambiental me han apasionado. Crecí en el centro de Puerto Rico, pero las visitas a la costa con mi familia desde pequeña (y sí, las repeticiones de “Undersea World” de Jacques Cousteau) despertaron mi interés en el ambiente marino, lo que me llevó a inscribirme en la Universidad de Puerto Rico en Mayagüez donde obtuve una Maestría en Ciencias en Oceanografía Biológica.
Mi interés por prevenir los desechos marinos se despertó a una edad temprana cuando descubrí desechos como plásticos de un solo uso, hilos de pescar e incluso envases de otros países en playas remotas. Esta exposición temprana me llevó a seguir estos conceptos a lo largo de mi carrera. Como ex educadora en Puerto Rico Sea Grant y profesora de biología, tuve la oportunidad de aprender más sobre los problemas de los desechos de construcción en la costa y el impacto de los desechos en general en la vida silvestre. Antes de unirme al MDP de la NOAA, pude comprender el problema aún mejor mientras trabajaba con el Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales de Puerto Rico para crear un protocolo para el manejo de embarcaciones abandonadas. ¡Me emociona poder seguir colaborando con todos ustedes en los muchos proyectos para mantener nuestras costas caribeñas libres de desechos!
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NOAA Marine Debris Program
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 Hurricane Irma debris cleanups from Krum Bay St. Thomas. (Credit:NOAA)
Visit NOAA MDP’s Caribbean Regional page to learn more about ongoing activities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
 Community base cleanups after Hurricane Irma, USVI. (Credit:NOAA)
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By Ashley Hill, NOAA MDP Florida Regional Coordinator
The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) was established by Congress in 2006 through the Marine Debris Act with the vision for the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris. We work toward this vision through our 2021-2025 pillars: Prevention, Removal, Research, Monitoring and Detection, Response, and Coordination. We also provide competitive grant funding and technical assistance to partner organizations for marine debris removal, prevention and research projects. Educational resources for teachers, students, and the general public are available on the MDP site. You can catch the information wave by subscribing to the Marine Debris blog and the MDP newsletter, and following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Programa de Desechos Marinos de NOAA
 Hurricane Maria impacted pier in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico. (Credit: NOAA)
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El Programa de Desechos Marinos de la NOAA fue establecido por el Congreso en 2006 a través de la Ley de Desechos Marinos con la visión de un océano global y sus costas libres de los impactos de los desechos marinos. Trabajamos para cumplir con esta visión a través de nuestros pilares de 2021-2025: Prevención, Remoción, Investigación, Monitoreo y Detección, Respuesta, y Coordinación. También proporcionamos fondos competitivos y asistencia técnica a organizaciones asociadas para proyectos de investigación, prevención y remoción de desechos marinos. Contamos además con recursos educativos para profesores, estudiantes y público en general a través del sitio web del Programa. Puede unirse a la ola de información suscribiéndose al blog del Programa y al boletín informativo de desechos marinos, y siguiéndonos en nuestras redes sociales en Facebook, Twitter, e Instagram.
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USVI Marine Debris Initiatives
By: Zola Roper, USVI Marine Debris Coordinator
Coastal Zone Management, Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR)
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 New installed water bottle refill station at a local business. (Credit: DPNR)
Partners have also hosted successful community events such as the USVI Great Mangrove Cleanup and Coastweeks, which are both major cleanup initiatives that engage large groups of citizens, of all age ranges, to aid in the removal or trash from crucial coastal habitats (e.g., mangroves and beaches) across the entire USVI. To continue, local entities have secured multiple funding sources to support initiatives such as the removal of derelict vessels, increase the use of smartphone applications for marine debris reporting, community-led cleanups, bin site barriers for bins sites at mangrove habitats, refill stations/reusable bottle messaging, glass bottle collection program which produces crushed glass that is then repurposed into sandbags, and many more. The efforts of USVI stakeholders have been nothing short of exceptional and we anticipate more projects and further successes to come!
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In the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), community partners are working diligently to address the extensive issue of marine debris through the implementation of the USVI Marine Debris Action Plan (USVI MDAP); a living document that will coordinate current marine debris actions across the territory, and prioritize and plan future actions needed for lasting debris prevention and reduction. Since the release of the USVI MDAP, territorial stakeholders have taken the time to implement and achieve a plethora of amazing projects. Partners shared the newly-created USVI Marine Debris Curricula through Marine Debris Educator Workshops which engaged numerous teachers across two islands.
 Crushed glass from the USVI Glass Recovery project. (Credit: DPNR)
 A derelict vessel, Cactus Bee Boat, removed from Altona Bay, St. Croix. (Credit: DPNR)
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 Marine Debris Educator Workshop hosted on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. (Credit: DPNR)
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By Raimundo Espinoza, Conservación ConCiencia
Puerto Rico was severely impacted by Hurricane Maria in 2017. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, we visited our partners in fishing communities across Puerto Rico to rediscover a problem that has historically impacted the livelihoods and economies of commercial fishermen, as well as the ecosystem: how storms cause fishing gear to be lost at sea.
We immediately began working together to address this issue by creating a marine conservation agreement between nearly 500 commercial fishers and Conservación ConCiencia to help fishers and commercial fishing associations acquire new legal fishing gear, recover gear lost during Hurricane Maria, promote responsible practices, develop new sustainable fisheries, facilitate direct access to new markets, and collaborate on marine conservation efforts.
One of the outcomes of this marine conservation agreement is the removal of abandoned, lost or derelict fishing gear, which we have been doing without interruption since January 2018. Our marine debris removal work began thanks to funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation with support from the Ocean Foundation. After years of successful community-based partnerships with the commercial fishing sector in Puerto Rico, sharing our experiences with marine debris removal experts, and being invited to speak about abandoned fishing gear at meetings of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, we finally felt ready to apply for NOAA Marine Debris Program funding, and our application was successfully accepted! The project funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program was to continue joint efforts to remove derelict fishing gear with the commercial fishing sector in Puerto Rico and to begin building capacity in the USVI commercial fishing community to further engage in marine debris removal locally.
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 Wildlife, like this shark, is vulnerable to derelict fishing gear. (Credit: Conservacion ConCiencia)
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By Raimundo Espinoza, Conservación ConCiencia |
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A fisher-to-fisher marine debris educational exchange was conducted in September 2022, when Conservación ConCiencia staff and five commercial fishers from Naguabo, Puerto Rico, visited St. Croix to present and discuss efforts made in Puerto Rico to remove derelict fishing gear. During this learning exchange, the team was able to understand and explore the opportunities that exist in the USVI to adopt these efforts. The first part of the experience exchange took place at the La Reine Fish Market in Christiansted with local fishers and the Department of Planning Natural Resources staff responsible for addressing marine debris. The second part consisted of conducting an in-water trial/training session on how to locate, identify, and safely remove derelict fishing gear. At the end of the exchange, both fishers from Puerto Rico and St. Croix were fully committed to participate and collaborate in future marine debris removal efforts in the U.S. Caribbean. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Kitty Edwards and Zola Roper from the USVI DPNR; Gerson Martinez, a commercial fisher from St. Croix; and Carlos Velazquez, Julio Ortiz, Jonathan Ortiz, Gabriel Ramos, and Garry Camacho from Naguabo for their contribution to the success of the exchange. We focused on derelict fishing gear because it is one of the most dangerous and harmful marine debris that exists for marine wildlife. In Puerto Rico, we have documented that over 80% of the traps we removed didn't comply with fishing regulations.
More information to come!
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Lydia Silber, ORISE Fellow EPA-TFW |
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Trash Free Waters (TFW) and the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) have been collaborating over the past year to create a strategic plan to reduce aquatic debris in Puerto Rico. Together, the two federal agencies organized several workshops to ensure that this plan was written for and by Puerto Rican stakeholders to specifically and comprehensively address local aquatic debris challenges.
As a result of the most recent workshop in December 2022, stakeholders identified four goals: prevention, removal and disposal, emergency response, and coordination. Puerto Rico stakeholders intend to explore, implement, and analyze potential sustainable solutions to the island's multiple challenges as the plan moves from the development phase to the implementation phase. Puerto Rico's Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris will remain a living document, understanding that circumstances and solutions may change as it is implemented. The Plan will encourage local, state, and federal stakeholders to work together toward a healthier and more sustainable island.
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El Programa Aguas Libres de Basura (TFW por sus siglas en inglés) de la Agencia de Protección Ambiental de los Estados Unidos y el Programa de Desechos Marinos (MDP) de la NOAA han estado colaborando durante el año pasado para crear un plan estratégico para reducir los desechos acuáticos en Puerto Rico. Las dos agencias federales organizaron varios talleres para garantizar que este plan fuera escrito por y para las partes interesadas en Puerto Rico, con la intención de abordar los desafíos de los desechos acuáticos locales de manera específica y comprensiva.
Como resultado del taller más reciente en diciembre de 2022, las partes interesadas identificaron cuatro metas: Prevención, Remoción y Disposición, Respuesta a emergencias, y Coordinación. Las partes interesadas de Puerto Rico tienen la intención de explorar, implementar y analizar posibles soluciones sostenibles a los múltiples desafíos de la isla a medida que el plan pasa de la fase de desarrollo a la fase de implementación. El Plan estratégico de Puerto Rico para reducir los desechos acuáticos se mantendrá como un documento vivo, entendiendo que las circunstancias y las soluciones pueden cambiar a medida que se implemente. El Plan fomentará que las partes interesadas locales, estatales y federales trabajen juntas hacia una isla saludable y sostenible.
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Monitoring can be defined as repeated measurements or observations. When applied to marine debris it helps us understand the amount,and most common types, and sources, where it accumulates, and whether it changes over time. This information can be used to set goals for litter prevention and reduction and to measure success in meeting those goals.
During the first week of February, Hillary Burgess, the Marine Debris Monitoring Coordinator, was able to conduct three monitoring workshops in the Caribbean for the first time. You can access the data from the three sites following the links: Vessup Beach in St. Thomas, Milenio Park in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico and Parque La Esperanza in Cataño, Puerto Rico. A webinar on data entry and exploration was offered to training participants on March 13. For upcoming monitoring dates on these sites or if you are interested in starting monitoring on a new site, reach out to Yaritza.Rivera@noaa.gov
The Monitoring Toolbox has the resources you need to begin your own monitoring, even tutorial videos both in English and Spanish. For questions on this, please reach out to Hillary.Burgess@noaa.gov.
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 Participants from St. Thomas, USVI. (Credit: NOAA)
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 Hillary Burgess during the training in Mayaguez, PR (Credit: NOAA)
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April 1
- St. Thomas: Vessup Bay - 9:00am-12:00pm
- Puerto Rico: Crash Boat, Aguadilla - 6:30-11:30am
April 15
- Puerto Rico: Bosque la Yeyesa, Salinas- 9:00am-12:00pm
April 22
- Puerto Rico: Arecibo (localidad TBD) - 9:00am-12:00pm
April 23
- Puerto Rico: Lajas, Villa Pescadores del Papayo - 8:00am
- Limpieza de los Cayos de La Parguera; contact: Richard Santiago, 787-951-3014
- Traer gorra, guantes, listo para caminar en el manglar
April 27- May 10
April - TBD
May 5
- Puerto Rico: La Esperanza, Cataño - 8:00am-11:00am
May 6
- Puerto Rico: Finca Escuela de La Perla, San Juan - 9:00am-12:00pm
May 12
- Puerto Rico: Guanajibo, Mayagüez - 1:00pm-3:00pm
May 13
- St. John: Coral Bay - 9:00am-12:00pm
June 10 (tentativo)
- Puerto Rico: Playas Ballena y Las Pardas, Guánica
June 4-10
- Puerto Rico: Semana de los Arrecifes de Coral
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