NOAA Marine Debris Program Preventing and Reducing the Harmful Impacts of Marine Debris on Our Oceans and Coasts RRT 3 M

1. NOAA Marine Debris Program Preventing and Reducing the Harmful Impacts of Marine Debris on Our Oceans and Coasts RRT 3 Meeting May 2007 Ed Levine NOAA Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division

2. Overview • Background: What is marine debris? • NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) • Program focus areas • Examples of projects we support • Examples of projects we manage

3. What is Marine Debris? NOAA Definition: “any man-made object discarded, disposed of, or abandoned that enters the coastal or marine environment” • Marine Debris is usually man-made • From land and sea • Persistent • Harmful to: • People • The Environment • The Economy

4. A Close Call… “The Russian mini-sub Priz (Prize) AS-28, with 7 crew members on board, ran into trouble on Thursday August 4th, during a military exercise off the Kamchatka peninsula in the Pacific Ocean. The vessel got stuck after its propeller became entangled in fishing nets.” (Moscownews.com 8/6/2005) Rescued crew. Photo: Times Priz-type sub. Photo: AP

5. What does it look like? Marine Debris can be very dangerous, threatening our oceans and coasts, endangering marine animals and seabirds, affecting navigation and even our own health and safety. It also takes away from the beauty of our natural environment.

6. Polluted Beaches Hawaii, USA Manila, Philippines Dorset Coast, UK Alaska, USA

7. Derelict Fishing Gear Photos: NOAA ORR

8. DFG Victims Photo: NOAA NMFS

9. In 2005 NOAA re-established a centralized marine debris program within the Office of Response & Restoration Goal: To undertake a national effort focused on identifying, reducing, and preventing the occurrence of marine debris Strategies: Research Reduction through removal Prevention Emergency response Website: www.marinedebris.noaa.gov NOAA MDP

10. Marine Debris Act The Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act • Signed into law by President Bush on December 22, 2006, establishing a Marine Debris Program within NOAA. • Provides a $10M authorization for NOAA to implement the program, including mapping, identification, and impact assessments; reduction and prevention activities; research and development of alternatives to fishing gear; and outreach activities. • Allows NOAA to engage local communities, NGOs, and universities in efforts to educate the public about marine debris, target problem areas, and encourage innovative solutions to marine debris issues.

11. NOAA MDP Focus Areas • Derelict fishing gear (DFG) • Training/protocols • Data collection and assessment • On-the-ground efforts • Prevention of derelict vessels • Coordination Photo: NOAA ORR

12. Crab pots Derelict pot Projects we Support: Chesapeake Bay Photos: NOAA CBO

13. Projects we Support: NWHI DFG Removal

14. Projects We Support: Divers Training

15. Projects we manage: Unalaska DFG Removal • December, 2004: M/V Selendang Ayu grounded on the west side of Unalaska Island • Some initial cleanup done, but most was postponed to spring and summer 2005 • Extensive survey needed (over 500 miles of coastline) • Area inundated with MD • Proposal: Have SCAT do both oil and MD, enter MD data to database, prioritize sites, then clean them up M/V Selendang Ayu in Unalaska. Photo: ADEC

16. Unalaska MD Removal: SCAT + MD Survey

17. Unalaska MD Removal: Data and Maps

18. Unalaska MD Removal: The Cleanup

19. Project we Manage: Gulf of Mexico Marine Debris Project • Katrina and Rita deposited huge amounts of debris in the Gulf of Mexico coastal zone • Major shipping channels were surveyed and debris removed • Near shore fishing and recreation areas have not been surveyed, debris present • Funding from Congress to survey • NOAA OCS: surveys, data processing, DTON notices • NOAA OR&R: Web site, GIS mapping products, and outreach Sunken vessel in Lake Borgne, LA

20. Who Does What? Office of Coast Survey • Plans and manages the surveys • 5 contractors in 3 States • Generates and processes survey data, and posts it on a server Two NOAA Offices: Office of Response and Restoration • Pulls the data from the server • Generates area maps in PDF format and IMS • Runs a Web Site • Conducts Outreach

21. GOMMDP: Survey Areas

22. OCS: The Survey Side scan image – Mobile Bay, AL Side scan sonar array

23. GOMMDP: Web sitehttp://gulfofmexico.marinedebris.noaa.gov/

24. Static Debris Map

25. IMS Site

26. Marine Debris Density

27. Initial Data Analysis: Volume Histograms

28. A Tale of Two Sites

29. GOMMDP: Removal Efforts

30. GOMMDP: Outreach • GOMMDP outreach to stakeholders • Sea Grant outreach to local communities

32. M/V Paris Expresslost containers, offshore Cape Hatteras, NC Photo Credit Lisa Goshe (NOAA/NMFS)

33. Funding Opportunities The MDP has created an internal funding opportunity to build on NOAA's capability to educate people about marine debris and to reduce and prevent the introduction of debris. • Research & Data Collection • Education/outreach and training/protocols • Derelict fishing gear (DFG) The MDP has also created two opportunities for external partners to apply for federal funds. The external grants are created to provide funding for non-NOAA entities to conduct projects that support the mission of the NOAA MDP. • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation http://www.nfwf.org/guidelines.cfm • NOAA Restoration Center http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/ restoration

34. Acknowledgements NOAA Marine Debris Program: Holly Bamford, Ph.D. Sarah Morison Megan Forbes Nir Barnea Kris McElwee Carey Morishige Neal Parry Brendan Bray Krissy Rusello Donna Lawson Photography: NOAA Marine Debris Program NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center NOAA Abandoned Vessel Program