FY2014 Community-based Marine Debris Removal

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A principal objective of the NOAA Marine Debris Program is to provide federal financial and technical assistance to grass-roots, community-based activities that improve living marine resource habitats through the removal of marine debris and promote stewardship and a conservation ethic for NOAA trust resources. NOAA trust resources include living marine resources and their habitats, including commercial and recreational fishery resources (marine fish and shellfish); coastal habitats; diadromous fish species; endangered and threatened marine species; marine mammals and marine turtles; marshes, mangroves, seagrass beds, coral reefs, other coastal habitats; areas identified by NOAA Fisheries as essential fish habitat (EFH); and areas within EFH identified as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC). NOAA trust resources can also include marine habitats and resources associated with National Marine Sanctuaries, National Estuarine Research Reserves, and areas under state coastal management programs, including Areas of Concern within the Great Lakes. The program aims to foster collaboration among diverse entities and groups (e.g., public and nonprofit organizations, citizen and watershed groups, anglers, boaters, industry, corporations and businesses, youth conservation corps, students, landowners, academics, and local, state, and federal government agencies) in order to cooperatively implement safe, impactful, and cost-effective marine debris removal projects. In order to track project success, funded projects will need to be able to report the total amount of debris removed (metric tons), total area or extent cleaned or restored (acres and/or miles), types of debris encountered, and volunteer hours involved.

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