Americans are using their local green space and parks more than ever. Getting outside is not only good for your physical health, but also your mental health. That is why National Public Lands Day feels even more special this year. This day celebrates the connection between people and public lands in their community and encourages environmental stewardship and the use of open space. 

Wild salmon still thrive in Southeast Alaska. Every year, they return to clean free flowing rivers to spawn, and in doing so, they support the bears, eagles, and the commercial and subsistence fishers of the region. As they grow into juveniles these baby salmon fry drop from their natal streams into brackish estuaries that act as nurseries for them to grow in. But what’s a salmon to do if their estuary is clogged with abandoned trucks, sinking boats, and logging refuse? 

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce our FY 2021 Marine Debris Research notice of funding opportunity. Projects awarded through the research grant competition will investigate and identify the critical input pathways for marine debris introduction into the coastal zone (shoreline or nearshore), including evaluation of appropriate simultaneous pathways of riverine transport downstream, surface runoff, stormwater discharge, and wind-driven transport, as well as degradation and fragmentation of debris during transport.

It’s almost that time of year—time for the 35th annual International Coastal Cleanup! The Ocean Conservancy brings people together around the globe for this event to clean up marine debris in their local communities, and the NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to have supported the International Coastal Cleanup for 14 years. Things may be different this year, but we can still make an impact on our community and our ocean when we work apart and together to clean up and protect our ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce that our 2021 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! This year’s calendar features artwork from thirteen students in kindergarten through eighth grade from nine states and two U.S. territories, all winners of the “Keep the Sea Free of Debris” art contest.

Huge amounts of marine debris enter the ocean and Great Lakes every year, from large abandoned and derelict vessels and fishing gear, to plastic bottles, food wrappers, and other trash, and even tiny pieces of plastic that you can’t see with the human eye! But once our trash is in the ocean, what happens to it? How long does it last, and can we ever say that it’s gone?