Washington Marine Debris Newsletter: Fall 2024

NOAA's National Ocean Service sent this bulletin at 11/07/2024 06:04 PM EST
WA Nov. header

A collection of crab pots (Photo Credit: NOAA).

A Message from the
Regional Coordinator

WAMDAP

2024 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan workshop participants. (Photo Credit: NOAA).

Greetings Washington marine debris community!

Fall is officially in full swing here in the Pacific Northwest so we were very fortunate to get to experience some of the last beautiful glimpses of sunny weather during the 2024 Washington Marine Debris Action Plan workshop. The workshop was held on October 22nd and 23rd in Port Angeles and included 43 people representing 25 different entities. Participants presented on the many amazing things they have accomplished over the past few years to help address marine debris issues here in Washington State. The group also discussed changes to the 2018-2024 Action Plan and kicked off the process of creating a new Washington Marine Debris Action Plan that will be published in 2025. Overall it was a wonderful opportunity to reconnect as a community and get reenergized in our ongoing efforts to keep Washington’s coasts clean and free from the impacts of marine debris. Thank you to everyone who participated in the workshop, and stay tuned for news on the next edition of the Washington Marine Debris Action Plan!

Best, 
Andrew Mason

 

Partner Updates

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. 

Surfrider WA

A pile of marine debris in the process of being sorted, including a large pile of fireworks leftover from July 4th celebrations, and a list of the top 10 items removed from the Ocean Shores 2024 ICC cleanup. (Photo Credit: Surfrider Washington).

Volunteers Continue to Remove Leftover
Fireworks Debris Months After July 4th

Surfrider chapters across Washington joined forces with other organizations and agencies to host numerous cleanups, removing thousands of pounds of trash from Washington beaches. Out in Ocean Shores, volunteers with the Grays Harbor Chapter sorted through 250 pounds of trash, collecting data used to advocate for policy solutions. Unfortunately, fireworks made up the majority of items found, a lasting legacy from the July 4th celebrations. Cigarette butts, plastic fragments, and single-use water bottles also made the top 10, which is consistent with cleanups across the country. After spending a few hours removing and sorting trash, volunteers gathered for a potluck on the beach to surf, socialize, and celebrate another successful International Coastal Cleanup Day.

For more information on Surfrider Washington, visit their website:
https://washington.surfrider.org/

Zero Waste WA

Volunteers sort debris from litter cleanups in South Puget Sound. (Photo Credit: Zero Waste Washington).

Collecting Cleanup Data in South Puget Sound

In 2024, Zero Waste Washington supported partners, including Surfrider, Scouts, and others, in conducting ten litter cleanups in South Puget Sound to collect data on litter on beaches and along rivers. The sites were assessed using EPA’s ETAP, the Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol. The information from each site was compiled with that collected at past litter cleanups and summarized into a report. These data support state efforts to strengthen water quality standards and enact legislation, such as the ReWRAP Act, to increase plastic recycling, improve Washington’s recycling systems, and reduce litter pollution.

The findings, as of this fall, show plastic items as the most prevalent at both beaches and urban sites, making up 43% of the litter found. Mixed materials (which primarily plastic) were the second most common, followed by paper, then glass, metal, and organics—in that order. Results showed that regarding litter sources, unknown sources were the most common. However, food and beverage sources contributed the second highest amount of litter collected. Volunteers found cigarette butts, cannabis, and associated packaging in large quantities, particularly in urban areas. As organizations conduct further litter cleanups, Zero Waste Washington will enter additional data into the database. If you are interested in receiving a draft copy of a report of the findings, please contact michelle@zerowastewashington.org.

Partner Submissions

NOAA Marine Debris Program Updates

Ocean Conservancy derelict fishing gear

The NOAA Marine Debris Program Awards 13 New Projects for Funding to Remove Marine Debris Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

After a highly competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce 13 new projects awarded funding under our NOAA Marine Debris Removal and Interception Technologies grant awards for Fiscal Year 2024. These projects represent an investment of over $23 million in federal funding for marine debris removal. The awarded projects under the two separate nationwide competitive funding opportunities continue the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s commitment to make tangible, beneficial impacts to coastal and marine habitats and communities across the nation.

In Washington, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources will remove abandoned and derelict vessels from South Puget Sound on tidelands owned by the Squaxin Island Tribe to address pollution in a critically important cultural, recreation, and subsistence location. The project will also hold six vessel turn-in events throughout Western Washington to intercept vessels before they become derelict or abandoned. 

For more information on these new projects, visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s website.

(Photo Credit: Ocean Conservancy).
NMSF logo

Special Funding Opportunity: Fiscal Year 2025 Ocean Odyssey Marine Debris Prevention Awards for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion,
Justice, and Accessibility

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, is seeking grant applications for 10-15 projects focused on marine debris prevention, education, and outreach activities. Individual awards will range between $5,000 and $10,000 to support communities that are underserved, underrepresented, or overburdened by marine debris and to promote initiatives that prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris across the coastal United States, Great Lakes, territories, and Freely Associated States.

Full proposals are due on November 20, 2024 by 11:59 ET. 

Learn more here.
art contest

Now Open!
NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest

Get your art supplies ready, because this year’s NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest is officially open! Students in grades K-8 can submit their artwork (electronically or by mail) through December 13th that answers the questions:

How does marine debris impact the oceans and Great Lakes?What are you doing to help prevent marine debris?

Contest winners will be featured in a 2026 calendar! Visit our website to check out last year's winners and download the contest entry form (also available in Spanish) and flyer. 

(Photo: Artwork by Sahini K., Grade 6, Florida).
innerspace blog

New Blog Post: Innerspace Exploration
Leads Community Efforts to Clean Up
Derelict Crab Pots

Dungeness Crab are an essential asset to the North Olympic Peninsula, ecologically, economically, and culturally. A side-effect of the beloved fishery is gear loss and bycatch, in Washington State an estimated 120,000 crab pots are deployed annually and there is an estimated gear loss of 10%. These lost crab pots are responsible for unnecessary crab mortality, habitat damage, and entanglement and mortality of marine mammals and other important species. Innerspace Exploration worked with a number of other partners to remove derelict crab pots from both Discovery and Sequim Bays in Washington.

Read the full post on NOAA's Marine Debris Blog.

(Photo Credit: Innerspace Exploration). 
survey

NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey Funded Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce the launch of the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey. This one-year survey will be conducted in partnership with 1stMission LLC and represents an investment of over $3.3 million in federal funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It will establish a scientifically valid baseline assessment of marine debris found on U.S. shorelines, including the continental U.S., Caribbean, Alaska, Pacific Islands, and Great Lakes, as well as a longer-term vision for documenting trends. 

For more information, please visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s website.

(Photo Credit: NOAA).
podcast

NOAA Ocean Podcast:
Marine Debris - Talking Trash

Marine debris is a large and global problem. Plastics, metals, rubber, fishing gear, and other lost and discarded items enter our ocean, Great Lakes, waterways, and coastal areas every day. This challenging issue can cause negative impacts to wildlife, the environment, and the economy. In this episode, the NOAA Ocean Podcast chats with Sophie Maginnes, communication specialist with the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

Listen now. 

(Photo Credit: NOAA). 
TIPS

Tropical Islands Partnering on Solutions for Marine Debris (TIPS) 

Join us for our next webinar, "From Gear to Ghost: Reeling in the Problem" on December 10, 2024 at 12:00 PM PT. Speakers from Florida, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands will discuss their work on mitigating abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear.

Register here. 

If you’re interested in learning more about TIPS or watching past webinars, you can visit our website or subscribe to our newsletter. 
boatus 2

Request for Feedback: BoatUS Foundation Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Database

With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the BoatUS Foundation is soliciting feedback to aid the planning and development of a nationwide abandoned and derelict vessel (ADV) database. 

Agencies who currently report or collect ADV data, those in government, the maritime industry, law enforcement, organizations such as environmental or boating groups, in addition to anyone interested in improving the environment by removing ADVs are asked to share anonymous feedback here.

Deadline: December 17, 2024.