Derelict fishing gear is haunting our oceans and harming marine life! The term “ghost gear” refers to any abandoned or discarded fishing gear in the marine environment. In its afterlife ghost gear continues to fish. This ongoing threat includes derelict fishing nets, traps, and pots that continue to trap animals, entangle marine life, smother habitats, and act as a hazard to navigation. 

Where does marine debris originate, and how does it make its way to the ocean? There are many possible avenues for land-based trash to become marine debris. In Southern California, San Diego State University (SDSU)  is working to find the answers. This multi-departmental project at SDSU is quantifying marine debris in the highly urbanized San Diego River and working to better understand how it travels through our waterways. 

New Report: Marine Debris on the shoreline of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: An assessment of activities contributing to marine debris, categories and composition, spatial distribution and predictor variables.

Are you a student or teacher who’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 the United States and U.S. territories can submit their artwork now through December 15.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) is pleased to share the 2023-2028 Puerto Rico Strategic Plan to Reduce Aquatic Debris. This document, available in Spanish and English, is the result of a collaborative effort between the NOAA MDP, the U.S. EPA Region 2 and Trash Free Waters Program, and organizations across Puerto Rico, and represents a stakeholder-led effort to guide aquatic and marine debris actions in Puerto Rico.