Following a competitive review process, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation are pleased to announce the five recipients of the 2022 Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund. The awards will go to Gulf of Mexico states impacted by the 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons, totaling approximately $1.6 million in federal funds. Federal funding is supplemented by grantee matching contributions, bringing the total investment of these marine debris projects to approximately $2.4 million. 

The shallow, protected habitats of Delaware’s Inland Bays make for one of the most popular areas in the state for residents and tourists to try their hands at catching blue crabs. In boats or on the shore, recreational crabbers use all kinds of gear, from hand lines, to trot lines, to small traps with collapsible sides, and the Chesapeake style crab pot. Unfortunately, thousands of derelict crab pots have been left behind or lost, and are littered beneath the surface of the Inland Bays. The University of Delaware and Delaware Sea Grant, with funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, worked to address the issue by teaming up with recreational crabbers to remove derelict pots.

The Anacostia River has a long and important history. Today, the Anacostia River watershed is home to more than 800,000 people, encompassing portions of Washington, DC, and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. Unfortunately, each year hundreds of tons of trash from surrounding lands makes its way into the river. Nearby communities have been working hard to address this problem, and help guide overall reductions in trash and litter entering the river.

The Mid-Atlantic coast of the United States is a large and dynamic place. Home to over 10,000 miles of coastline and spanning from Virginia to New York, it features major metropolitan areas, iconic coastal bays and estuaries, and an incredible array of wildlife and habitats. Unfortunately, seemingly everywhere we turn, marine debris can also be found. Debris litters the Mid-Atlantic waterways and coastlines, entangles and captures wildlife, scars habitats, and harms the regional economy.