NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | November 2023

Cover of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Turning the Tide on Trash Newsletter with artwork of a turtle and a plastic bag.

Artwork by Clara G. (Grade 8, California), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.

In This Issue

Special Funding Opportunity

Interception Technologies Funding Opportunity

Art Contest Now Open

Puerto Rico Strategic Plan

National Ocean Service Strategic Plan

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Report

Trash Travels in the San Diego River

Ghosts of Fishing Past

Quick Links

Marine Debris Website
Marine Debris Blog
Monitoring Toolbox
In Your Region
ADV InfoHub
Clearinghouse

Clipboard at the beach.

Monitoring Toolbox

The NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project has an updated Monitoring Toolbox! Check out the new video tutorials and database visualization tools, along with refreshed guides and field datasheets. The Monitoring Toolbox contains all of the resources you need to get started.

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Website & Blog

Special Funding Opportunity: Ocean Odyssey Marine Debris Awards

Miscellaneous debris including plastic, fishing line, and product packaging.

Miscellaneous marine debris (Photo: NOAA).

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program released a Request for Proposals for the Ocean Odyssey Marine Debris Awards for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility. The Foundation expects to award 10-15 grants, totaling approximately $75,000 for this funding competition. Full proposals are due on December 18, 2023 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST). For more information on this Request for Proposals, visit the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation website.

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Interception Technologies Funding Opportunity

Abandoned derelict vessels piled on top of one another and washed ashore.

Vessels removed from the Dog River in Alabama (Photo: NOAA).

Our Fiscal Year 2024 Notice of Funding Opportunity is still open! The NOAA Marine Debris Program will award up to $28 million across two funding opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Letters of Intent for our Fiscal Year 2024 NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are due on November 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. View applicant resources and a recorded webinar

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Now Open: The Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest

Artwork of a diver picking up trash with the saying "Save The Seas".

Artwork by Jaemyn L. (Grade 6, Pennsylvania), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest (Photo: NOAA).

Get your art supplies ready because the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest is now open! Students in grades K-8 from the United States and U.S. territories can submit their artwork until December 15 that answers how marine debris impacts the ocean and Great Lakes and what you are doing to help prevent marine debris. Submit your artwork and you could see it featured in our 2025 Marine Debris Calendar!

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New Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris Released

A large group of volunteers stand behind a large pile of trash bags and other debris removed from Puerto Rico shorelines.

Volunteers with marine debris removed from Puerto Rico shorelines (Photo: NOAA).

We are pleased to share the 2023-2028 Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris (Strategic Plan). This document, available in Spanish and English, is the result of a collaborative effort between the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the U.S. EPA Region 2 and Trash Free Waters Program, and organizations across Puerto Rico, and represents a stakeholder-led effort to guide aquatic and marine debris actions in Puerto Rico.

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National Ocean Service Strategic Plan Released

Cover of the National Ocean Service Strategic Plan with aerial image of the shoreline as the background.

National Ocean Service Strategic Plan Cover (Photo: NOAA).

The National Ocean Service’s new strategic plan for 2024-2028 charts our future course as we continue to play a critical role in filling the needs of our national and coastal communities. Our plan helps us align with the U.S. Department of Commerce Strategic Plan 2022-2026 and NOAA’s FY22-26 Strategic Plan, Building a Climate Ready Nation.

View the full plan here.


New Report: Marine Debris on the shoreline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

An aerial photograph of a sandy beach surrounded by rocky outcroppings.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (Photo: NOAA).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce the release of a new report on marine debris on the shoreline of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This report was created with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program and is published in collaboration with the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and California Marine Sanctuary Foundation. It aims to identify the prevalent types of marine debris and their distribution along the shoreline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This detailed report analyzes the findings in order to assess potential sources and how marine debris moves throughout the sanctuary.

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Exploring How Trash Travels in the San Diego River

Trash and other debris are caught in the fence.

Trash caught in a fence after the San Diego River flooded in January 2023 (Photo: TJ Palmer).

Where does marine debris originate, and how does it make its way to the ocean? There are many possible avenues for land-based trash to become marine debris. In Southern California, San Diego State University is working to find the answers with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program. This multi-departmental project is quantifying marine debris in the highly urbanized San Diego River and working to better understand how it travels through our waterways. 

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The Ghosts of Fishing Past

A derelict lobster trap at the bottom of the seafloor.

Ghost Fishing Lobster Trap (Photo: NOAA).

Derelict fishing gear is haunting our oceans and harming marine life! The term “ghost gear” refers to any abandoned or discarded fishing gear in the marine environment. In its afterlife ghost gear continues to fish. This ongoing threat includes derelict fishing nets, traps, and pots that continue to trap animals, entangle marine life, smother habitats, and act as a hazard to navigation. 

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