Great Lakes

The Great Lakes region, with its beautiful coastlines, diverse wildlife, and stunning vistas is not immune to marine debris concerns. Fortunately, our numerous partners in the region are hard at work addressing the issues of plastics, fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, and other debris that impact the environment.

Since 1992, the NOAA Great Lakes Mussel Watch Program (GLMWP) has collected invasive zebra and quagga mussels from sites in the Great Lakes as part of its national contaminant monitoring program. Zebra and quagga mussels store contaminants in their bodies, a quality that suggests they may be useful as water quality biomonitors. Because they are stationary filter feeders, are abundant, and are relatively resistant to chemicals, their body tissues can be tested to reveal pollution where they live. In 2018, a team of marine scientists from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, NOAA GLMWP, and Loyola University Chicago joined forces to ask whether these invasive mussels take in microplastics along with chemical pollutants, and might they be indicators of microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes?

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the sixth annual Ohio Marine Debris Challenge! This year, middle and high school students from Ohio’s Lake Erie coastal communities completed lessons and created artwork to raise awareness about the global problem of marine debris, especially in the Great Lakes. Students were challenged to create original artwork using repurposed trash that showcased Cedar Point Amusement Park’s 150th Anniversary.

School cafeterias offer students daily lunch choices, but school-provided meals can generate serious waste. Students in rural northeast Michigan took a closer look at their lunchroom waste as part of a “Food for Thought” project led by the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, and Michigan State University Extension. They performed a lunch waste audit to investigate their lunchroom trash and to brainstorm solutions that prevent plastics from becoming marine debris in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

The Great Lakes region, with its complex habitats, is no stranger to environmental problems. Organizations have been working for many years to address issues like chemical contaminants, invasive species, and harmful algal blooms. Many of these same organizations, along with emerging leaders from local communities and schools, are now working on new waste awareness and prevention projects to tackle the problem of plastics!

In order to help raise awareness of the issue, we’re excited to be offering the Ohio Marine Debris Art Challenge for students in grades 6-12 in coastal Ohio! After learning about marine debris in the ocean and Great Lakes, and how we all may be contributing with our trash, students will create marine debris artwork from repurposed trash.

Marine debris can be dangerous for wildlife, damage sensitive habitats, and create safety and navigation hazards. But did you know that marine debris can also hurt the economies of coastal communities and decrease commercial fishing revenue? Marine debris can keep tourists away from beaches, compete with active fishing gear and reduce commercial catches, and cost small businesses money.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the fifth annual Communicating for a Clean Future: Ohio Marine Debris Challenge! This contest is open every year to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in recognized public, private, and home schools in Ohio’s Lake Erie coastal communities.

Western New York State lies in the heart of the lower Great Lakes Basin and includes the Niagara River Watershed. The Niagara River Watershed is notable for its important habitats, which supports lake sturgeon, muskellunge, lake trout, walleye, and northern pike, and has been internationally recognized as an important migratory route for birds.