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Guide To A Greener Holiday: Debris Free Gift Guide madison.piascik Tue, 12/12/2023 - 13:27
Presents wrapped in pillowcases and ribbon underneath a Christmas tree.

‘Tis the season of giving! Gift wrapping, shipping packages, and gifts themselves often result in large sums of waste that can end up in our oceans and Great Lakes. This holiday season, the NOAA Marine Debris Program has thought of everyone on your list for a debris-free gift exchange. We hope that these ideas spark creativity for the friends and family you’re shopping for this year! Many of these gift ideas can be personalized without creating marine debris and tailored to anyone special in your life. As you make your list, and check it twice, these Debris-Free Gift Guides will make your holidays greener! 

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holiday
#DebrisFree
consumer debris
Marine Debris Tracker App Reaches a Data Milestone! jennifer.simms Tue, 10/15/2019 - 14:59
A screen of a smart phone showing the home screen of the app and the menu bar.

Did you know that the Marine Debris Tracker App recently logged 2 million pieces of litter and debris from all over the world? This app has been around since 2010 as a joint initiative between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative (SEA-MDI).

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#DebrisFree
outreach

Abandoned and Derelict Vessels

Posted Fri, 03/30/2018 - 11:00
A vessel tilted to its side and flooded.

By: Amanda Laverty, Communications Specialist for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

We’re spending March talking all about marine debris and its types, sources, impacts, and solutions. Tune in throughout the month to learn more about this important topic and how we can all be part of the effort to make our lives and our ocean #DebrisFree.

Though the legal definition of an “Abandoned and Derelict Vessel” varies, an “ADV” is generally considered to be any vessel in significant disrepair that may pose a threat to the public or the environment. “Derelict” frequently refers to vessels that are dilapidated with an identifiable owner, while “abandoned” vessels are those where the owner is unknown or has surrendered rights of ownership. Vessels can become abandoned and derelict for many reasons, ranging from neglect to theft, to catastrophic weather. 

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#DebrisFree
ADVs

Garbage Patches Explained

Posted Wed, 03/21/2018 - 11:00
Graphic image of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in a gyre.

By: Amanda Laverty, Communications Specialist with the NOAA Marine Debris Program

We’re spending March talking all about marine debris and its types, sources, impacts, and solutions. Tune in throughout the month to learn more about this important topic and how we can all be part of the effort to make our lives and our ocean #DebrisFree.

Garbage patches are areas of increased concentration of marine debris that are formed from rotating ocean currents called gyres. The most publicized garbage patch is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre in the northern Pacific Ocean. However, there are actually several garbage patches located in gyres around the world! Check out answers to other frequently asked garbage patch questions.

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#DebrisFree
garbage patch
Less Waste, More Action krista.e.stegemann Thu, 03/15/2018 - 11:00
A person sipping from a reusable coffee mug.

By: Amanda Laverty, Communications Specialist with the NOAA Marine Debris Program

We’re spending March talking all about marine debris and its types, sources, impacts, and solutions. Tune in throughout the month to learn more about this important topic and how we can all be part of the effort to make our lives and our ocean #DebrisFree.

Here at the NOAA Marine Debris Program, we are striving to reduce the amount of waste we produce annually. The EPA estimates that on average, Americans generate 4.40 pounds of waste per person per day. Now that is a lot of trash! Unfortunately, much of that trash becomes marine debris. The good news is that because we are the problem, we can be the solution too! In fact, 700+ leading marine debris experts from around the world are meeting this week in San Diego, CA, at the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference to discuss the state of marine debris science and the path forward. The purpose of this event is to expose innovation, expand collaboration, and fuel action— and to do it while producing as little waste as possible.

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#DebrisFree
prevention
Monitoring Marine Debris krista.e.stegemann Thu, 03/08/2018 - 11:00
Two people monitoring a beach and adding debris information to a clipboard.

We’re spending March talking all about marine debris and its types, sources, impacts, and solutions. Tune in throughout the month to learn more about this important topic and how we can all be part of the effort to make our lives and our ocean #DebrisFree.

How big is the marine debris problem? How has it changed over time? What types of debris are most common in my region? These are all important questions to ask when tackling the marine debris issue and to get the answers, we turn to marine debris monitoring.

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#DebrisFree
monitoring

Marine Debris & Invasive Species

Posted Thu, 03/01/2018 - 11:00
Image of Wakame kelp.

We’re spending March talking all about marine debris and its types, sources, impacts, and solutions. Tune in throughout the month to learn more about this important topic and how we can all be part of the effort to make our lives and our ocean #DebrisFree.

Marine debris can have many negative effects on us and our environment. One potential impact of debris which is often overlooked is marine debris’ potential to assist in the spread of non-native, and potentially invasive, species. Non-native species, or animals that are not from a certain area or meant to be there, have the potential to become harmful and invasive. If that happens, these invasive animals can start using the local resources in an unsustainable way, or in a way that may negatively impact those animals that do belong.

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#DebrisFree
invasive species
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