We are pleased to announce with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) a request for proposals under the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund is now open through July 26.
The 2022 hurricane season inflicted severe damage to communities and coastal resources across several states and territories. Hurricanes Fiona, Ian, and Nicole, and Typhoon Merbok left a swath of destruction to communities and coastal resources in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina including large aggregations of debris and many displaced vessels. This debris poses hazards to navigation, coastal communities, commercial fishing grounds, and sensitive ecosystems.
With funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, NFWF is seeking applications for approximately $6 million in grants to remove marine debris from impacted coastal areas. The program will primarily fund marine debris assessment, removal, restoration, and disposal activities in coastal communities in Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico, and South Carolina. Projects will prevent further damage to sensitive coastal habitats and species and reduce the impacts of marine debris on properties, community infrastructure, assets of economic importance, and navigation safety.
Full proposals are due on Friday, July 26, 2024 11:59 PM EDT. An informational webinar for potential applicants will be held by NFWF on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 3:00pm EDT.
More information is available on the NFWF website.