We are pleased to celebrate 10 years of our Fishing for Energy partnership! This public-private partnership i installs collection bins that provide the fishing community with a no-cost option for disposing of old or unwanted gear. The old nets, line, and ropes are then converted into energy.

This time of year, many of us gather around to give thanks for our family, friends, and delicious food, but we should give our thanks to the ocean and Great Lakes as well. After all, they give us so much.

With financial support from NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, coastal states and territories impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria received $17.2M in disaster relief funding to assess, removal, and dispose of hurricane related marine debris.

How do you pull an entire space shuttle’s weight in marine debris out of one of the most remote parts of the ocean? The answer is teamwork. Last week, on October 29th, a mission ended to remove debris, mostly lost fishing nets, from the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. These lost nets are a huge entanglement risk to marine life and damage critical habitat. The three part mission involved two ships, five NOAA offices, and many more! Learn more about their journey and how they worked together to remove over 82 tons of debris from the these culturally and ecologically significant islands. 

Aquaculture, or the farming of aquatic animals, is becoming more and more popular along the coasts of the United States. As the demand for seafood rises around the world, aquaculture can provide a sustainable way to meet that demand. As this industry grows, new gear, technology and techniques are being developed. This makes it the perfect time to help farmers understand how to not only grow a good crop, but also to share best practices to prevent marine debris.