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Check out the full report! (Photo: Sherri Mason)
The NOAA Marine Debris Program and Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters Program, on behalf of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee with support from the consulting firm Materevolve and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, are pleased to share the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee Report on Microfiber Pollution. This report, created as a requirement of the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act (P.L. 116-224), provides an overview of microfiber pollution, including a proposed definition of a microfiber, an assessment of the problem, and recommendations for measuring and reducing microfiber pollution. It also outlines a plan with five goals for Federal agencies to reduce microfiber pollution in coordination with stakeholders.
Read the Full Report
A derelict vessel located in Beaufort Harbor in Beaufort, North Carolina (Photo: BOAT US Foundation).
The BoatUS Foundation, is accepting applications under the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program until August 12. With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the BoatUS Foundation will award up to $7.5 million in grants to remove abandoned and derelict vessels across coastal and marine areas of the United States.
Apply here
An abandoned derelict vessel crashed into a marina walkway in Ft. Myers Yacht Basin caused by Hurricane Ian (Photo: NOAA).
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is still requesting proposals under the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund through July 26. With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, they are seeking applications for approximately $6 million in grants to remove marine debris from impacted coastal areas. The program will primarily fund marine debris assessment, removal, restoration, and disposal activities in coastal communities in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina. Projects will prevent further damage to sensitive coastal habitats and species and reduce the impacts of marine debris on properties, community infrastructure, assets of economic importance, and navigation safety.
Apply here
A collective total of 70,080 pounds of plastic and other debris, derelict fishing gear, and derelict vessels was removed from Kuaihelani (Photos: Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project).
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project completed their first mission of 2024 to the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (monument). This 19 day mission was focused on removing derelict fishing gear and consumer plastics from just the shorelines of Kuaihelani (Pihemanu, Midway Atoll). The team surpassed their original goal of 35,000 pounds and removed 70,080 pounds of marine debris. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to support this work through a 5-year grant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation using $5.8M in funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
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Students bring food back and analyze the data from the Hamburger Safari (Photo Credit: Vermilion Sea Institute).
The Vermilion Sea Institute, and the youthful team of Aventureros, are documenting and supporting local restaurants on a transition away from single-use plastics. The team picks up their to-go orders from 20 food vendors in Bahia de los Angeles, Mexico and work together to devour the data. The Hamburger Safari is a continual, youth-driven effort to reduce barriers to a sustainable and waste-free community and offer creative, novel, and place-based methodologies to do so. Throughout this work, the Aventureros have directly engaged well over 550 people in their marine debris reduction and prevention efforts. Read more about what the team discovered!
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