BOO! It’s Halloween—the scariest day of the year—and nothing is more frightening on All Hallows’ Eve than… marine debris!

Halloween is both scary and fun, but unfortunately often results in an increase in trash that can become marine debris. But, thankfully there are ways to *actually* be a superhero (not just dress like one!) and take steps to prevent this from happening!

Once a year, we like to take a moment to reflect on our efforts to investigate and prevent the adverse impacts of marine debris and to think about how far we’ve come. This past year has certainly been a busy one as we’ve moved forward under the guidance of our strategic plan and five program pillars—prevention, removal, research, emergency response, and regional coordination. With the help of many partners, we have been able to accomplish a great deal. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to present our 2017 Accomplishments Report, which highlights some of our major accomplishments over the past year.

Are you a student or teacher that’s passionate about marine debris? Then get your art supplies ready, because this year’s NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest is officially open! Students in grades K-8 from all U.S states and territories can submit their artwork now through November 30th. Enter today and you could see your artwork featured in our 2019 Marine Debris Calendar! So get crafty, get creative, and help us raise awareness about marine debris! 

The start of cooler weather means fall is here and for many, that also means the start of a very important season— football season! Whether you follow your local high school, college, or professional team, you likely enjoy all the festivities that come with it. This may include wearing your favorite jersey to every game, getting together with friends for a viewing party at home, or partaking in the tradition of tailgating. Tailgating is a favorite pastime of football fans, but can unfortunately result in lots of debris left behind. Thankfully, there are many ways in which you can still enjoy this football season pastime without contributing to marine debris.

When you think of marine debris, you likely think of items carelessly discarded and winding up in our waters. Although that is definitely one source, sometimes debris is created by events outside of our control. Severe storms and weather events often result in a large amount of marine debris. Although there are steps we can take to reduce the amount of storm debris, such as securing our belongings before the storm hits, debris is often an unfortunate and unavoidable side effect of severe weather.

Find out how the NOAA Marine Debris Program and others respond to hurricane debris.

Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs is launching their second Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition! Funded by a NOAA Marine Debris Program Prevention grant, this competition serves as a fun and exciting way for students to actively take part in preventing marine debris by carrying out real-world projects.

Find out how to participate and where you should start!