emergency response

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the “Puerto Rico Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide” (Guide). The Guide is a product of a collaborative process with territorial and federal agencies. The Guide aims to improve preparedness for responding to marine debris after hurricanes and other disasters in Puerto Rico. 

More than four years after the destructive forces of Typhoon Yutu ripped through Tinian and Saipan, its remnants continue to degrade natural habitats and attractions that jeopardize tourism and economic growth in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The Mariana Islands Nature Alliance and its partners are continuing marine debris removal activities and marine habitat restoration in the waters and surrounding coastal areas of Tinian Harbor, northern coastal areas, and along Saipan’s southern shallow waters and coastlines.

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. 

As we approach the 2022 hurricane season, we are sharing NOAA Marine Debris Program resources to help you prepare for storms and prevent storm-generated debris from accumulating in waterways and on shorelines. Hurricanes and typhoons are among nature's most powerful and destructive events, and when these natural disasters strike they can create massive amounts of debris. That’s why the NOAA Marine Debris Program is participating in Hurricane Preparedness Week and working with coastal states and U.S. territories to help communities prepare for hurricanes and prevent and respond to marine debris.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Program is pleased to release the New Jersey Marine Debris Emergency Response Guide: Comprehensive Guidance Document (Guide). The Guide is a product of collaboration among state and federal agencies and will improve preparedness for response and recovery operations following any natural disaster or event that generates large amounts of marine debris in New Jersey.