Great Lakes

Lake Erie experienced a drinking water crisis in 2014, as well as ongoing algal blooms, leading to an increased preference for bottled water, and a potential source for marine debris. At Partners for Clean Streams, we are working to help reduce further impacts by taking on marine debris in the freshwater tributaries that lead to Lake Erie. With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, our Clean Your Streams program allows kids and adults alike to get engaged in marine debris removal.

Although they don’t have salt water, the Great Lakes are vast, and can feel like small oceans. This connected series of lakes, Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, are the largest surface freshwater system on earth and account for 21 percent of the world’s supply. They shape the north coast of the United States, bordering eight states and the Canadian province of Ontario, for a total of 10,200 miles of coastline. That surpasses the East Coast of the U.S. (2,069 miles)!

Today is World Water Day, a day to recognize that water is our most precious resource, needed by every single living thing on earth. In the Great Lakes, over 40 million people depend directly on HOMES (Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior) for drinking water. These lakes are the largest freshwater system on Earth and contain a fifth of the world’s water, adding up to more than 6 quadrillion gallons. Unfortunately, marine debris not only exists in our ocean, but can also be found in the Great Lakes and affect the quality of the water that we are drinking. Tiny plastics less than 5mm in size, called microplastics, dominate the waters of the Great Lakes. We don’t yet know how microplastics in our drinking water can affect human health, but we do know that preventing marine debris is a crucial step in improving the water quality of the Great Lakes.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to release the Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan 2018 Action Summary Report. This report highlights all the important work completed by Great Lakes partners, as the plan officially comes to a close in 2019. Since creating the first the Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan in 2014, over 30 participating organizations around the region have worked together to complete 22 actions addressing marine debris in the Great Lakes.

By: Sarah Lowe, Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Marine Debris Program

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is excited to announce the winners of the third annual 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. Students complete lessons and create a public service announcement to help raise awareness of marine debris. Winning teams were recognized last week at an awards ceremony at Cedar Point Amusement Park and were given recognition by members of congress, including Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Congressman Jim Renacci, Senator Rob Portman, and Senator Sherrod Brown. Check out this year's winners!

Meet Sarah Lowe, the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Great Lakes Regional Coordinator! Reach out to Sarah at sarah.lowe@noaa.gov!

The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Great Lakes region is a large one, encompassing all Great Lakes states— from New York to Minnesota. This region has unique beauty with its complex system of habitats, ranging from the Lakes themselves to their associated wetlands, rivers, and tributaries.  Unfortunately, this landscape is marred by the presence of marine debris. Like many places throughout the country, marine debris is a big problem in the Great Lakes region, impacting the environment and the animals that live there, as well as the Great Lakes’ robust recreational fishing and boating economy. Luckily, there are many efforts currently underway to tackle marine debris in this area. Check out some of the newly-established projects funded by the Marine Debris Program.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program and our partners – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Ohio Sea Grant, and the Ohio State University Stone Laboratory – are pleased to announce the winners of the first annual “Communicating for a Clean Future” Marine Debris Public Service Announcement Competition!

The competition was open to students in grades 9 through 12 from Ohio’s 9^th Congressional District. After learning about the issue of marine debris in the ocean and Great Lakes through lessons and school activities, students were challenged to develop innovative public service announcements (PSAs) aimed at inspiring others to take action to prevent and reduce marine debris. This competition not only worked to engage students and to spread the message about marine debris, but empowered students to become leaders in their communities in the fight against it.