Mid-Atlantic

The Anacostia River has a long and important history. Today, the Anacostia River watershed is home to more than 800,000 people, encompassing portions of Washington, DC, and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. Unfortunately, each year hundreds of tons of trash from surrounding lands makes its way into the river. Nearby communities have been working hard to address this problem, and help guide overall reductions in trash and litter entering the river.

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.

Up to 20,000 pots from Delaware’s recreational blue crab fishery may sit on the murky bottom of Delaware’s Inland Bays, getting swept around by the currents and mired in the mud. There, they await rescue – inadvertently scraping across the bottom, getting in the way of boats, and continuing to ghost fish by trapping crabs, fish, and other wildlife. A new project, led by the University of Delaware and Delaware Sea Grant, is using side-scan and live sonar to identify and recover derelict crab pots lost and abandoned in Delaware’s Indian River Bay.

The Mid-Atlantic region is home to diverse industries, large urban cities, and beaches popular for tourism. Our partners are working hard to keep the coast clean to conserve all that we love about the Mid-Atlantic. Seven prevention and removal projects supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program are currently underway in the Mid-Atlantic, spanning issues from single-use plastics and consumer debris, to abandoned and derelict fishing gear and vessels.

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.