Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey Launches | response.restoration.noaa.gov

OCT. 15, 2024 — On October 9, the NOAA Marine Debris Program announced the launch of the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey with funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In partnership with 1stMission LLC, this one-year survey will establish a scientifically valid assessment of marine debris found on U.S. shorelines, including the continental U.S., Caribbean, Alaska, Pacific Islands, and Great Lakes. This project represents an investment of over $3.3 million in federal funding for marine debris assessment. This survey is part of a longer term vision for documenting marine debris trends nationwide.

Marine debris is a widespread pollution issue that is affecting the world's oceans, waterways, and coastal areas. It can injure or kill wildlife, degrade habitats, impact important seafood resources, interfere with navigational safety, and negatively affect local economies. Monitoring marine debris contributes to our understanding about the types, amounts, and sources of debris, where it accumulates, and if it's changing over time. This survey will help answer currently unaddressed questions, such as how much marine debris is on shorelines in the United States at any given time and which regions have more or less debris. Monitoring data can help determine targets for prevention and mitigation, and can measure success in reaching those targets.

Data will be publicly available in the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project database for researchers, policy makers, educators, and interested members of the public to explore and use. For more information about this project, please visit the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s website.