NOAA Marine Debris Program e-Newsletter | August 2024

Cover of the NOAA Marine Debris Program Turning the Tide on Trash Newsletter.

An interception technology device installed in Florida waterways to capture marine debris and prevent it from moving into other areas (Photo: Sarasota County Government).

In This Issue

New Funding Opportunities

Special Vessel Removal Funding Opportunity

Upcoming Webinar

An Educator’s Guide to NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project

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

New Funding Opportunity: Fiscal Year 2025 NOAA Marine Debris Removal and Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

A sunken vessel in a marina marked off with floatation devices.

An abandonded and derelict vessel submerged in Neah Bay, Washington (Photo: NOAA).

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program is pleased to announce two Fiscal Year 2025 Notices of Funding Opportunity for both Marine Debris Removal and Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The NOAA Marine Debris Program will award up to $54 million across two funding opportunities:

Fiscal Year 2025 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with Letters of Intent due on September 27, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and an applicant webinar will be offered on August 07, 2024 at 3:00pm Eastern Time. 

Fiscal Year 2025 NOAA Marine Debris Interception Technologies under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with Letters of Intent due on October 09, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time and an applicant webinar will be offered on August 14, 2024 at 3:00pm Eastern Time. 

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Special Funding Opportunity: Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program

A half sunken sailboat in a marsh.

A derelict vessel located in Beaufort Harbor in Beaufort, North Carolina (Photo: BoatUS Foundation).

The BoatUS Foundation is still accepting applications under the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal Grant Program. 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. Proposals are due August 12.

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Upcoming Webinar: Tropical Islands Partnering on Solutions for Marine Debris

An aerial image of an island in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

An aerial photograph of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (Photo: Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project).

Are you interested in learning about place-based education initiatives in tropical islands? Join us on August 13 at our upcoming Tropical Islands Partnering on Solutions webinar - Back to School! There will be presentations from organizations in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Florida Keys, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Presentations will focus on education and outreach resources and practices that are place-based and rooted in the specifics of these island communities. There will also be a presentation on NOAA Marine Debris Program educator resources that are publicly available. 

Register Here


Now Available: An Educator’s Guide to NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project

A group of young students holding a 5-meter rope stand on a sandy beach and look out into the waves.

A group of fifth grade students participating in the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (Photo: Denise Harrington).

The NOAA Marine Debris Program created the Guide to Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) for Educators as a resource for educators who are interested in implementing MDMAP surveys with their students. The Guide provides instructions and tips for participating in MDMAP and planning, conducting, and following up on monitoring surveys with student groups. Understanding where, how much, and what kinds of debris are present in the marine environment is important to help combat the problem. This knowledge, along with an understanding of how the amount of marine debris on shorelines is changing over time, is essential to developing new and effective strategies for prevention, education, and outreach. 

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