Photo: Coral Reef Ecosystem Program/ NOAA

2014-2015 PROGRESS REPORT ON THE 

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MARINE DEBRIS ACT

Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee | December 2016

Congressional Report requirement as stated in Marine Debris Act (as amended) (33 U.S.C. § 1954)
i 

Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee

Chair, Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Vice-Chair, United States Environmental Protection Agency 

Department of Defense, Navy

Department of Defense, United States Army Corps of Engineers

Department of Homeland Security, USCG

Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of the Interior,

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement 

Department of Justice, Environment and Natural Resources Division 

Department of State, Office of Marine Conservation

Marine Mammal Commission
ii

Committee Members 

Nancy Wallace

IMDCC Chair

Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

Laura Johnson

IMDCC Vice-Chair

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Water

Federal Department and Agency Members

Alison Hammer Weingast

Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration

David Condino

Department of Homeland Security

USCG

Matthew Malone

Department of State

Office of Marine Conservation

Cliff McCreedy

National Park Service

Donald Pommer

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

David Laist

Marine Mammal Commission

Mike Pletke

Department of Defense

Navy

James Sinclair

Department of the Interior

Bureau of Safety and Environmental 

Enforcement

Pete Leary

Department of the Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

Andrea Berlowe

Department of Justice

Environment and Natural Resources 

Division

Rachel Keylon, Executive Secretary

Department of Commerce

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration
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Table of Contents

Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee...................................................................... i

Committee Members....................................................................................................................... ii

Tables............................................................................................................................................. iv

Acronyms........................................................................................................................................ v

1.0 Executive Summary............................................................................................................. 7

2.0 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 8

2.1 Overview of the Marine Debris Issue ................................................................................... 8

2.2 The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee............................................... 9

3.0 Implementation of IMDCC recommendations and strategies ........................................... 11

3.1 Status of activities related to IMDCC recommendations............................................... 11

Education and Outreach........................................................................................................ 11

Legislation / Regulation / Policy........................................................................................... 13

Incentive Programs ............................................................................................................... 15

Enforcement.......................................................................................................................... 17

Cleanups................................................................................................................................ 18

Research................................................................................................................................ 21

Technology Development..................................................................................................... 24

Fostering Coordination ......................................................................................................... 25

4.0 NOAA Summary of Marine Debris Inventory .................................................................. 28

5.0 Review of the NOAA Marine Debris Program.................................................................. 29

5.1 Program Administration and Structure .......................................................................... 29

5.2 Prevention through Education and Outreach ................................................................. 29

5.3 Removal ......................................................................................................................... 30

5.4 Emergency response to severe marine debris events..................................................... 31

5.5 Research ......................................................................................................................... 32

5.6 Regional coordination .................................................................................................... 34

6.0 Review of U.S. Coast Guard programs.............................................................................. 37

6.1 Compliance and Enforcement ........................................................................................ 38

6.2 Debris Removal.............................................................................................................. 39

6.3 International Activities................................................................................................... 40

6.4 Outreach ......................................................................................................................... 41

7.0 Funding and Recommendations......................................................................................... 42

Appendices.................................................................................................................................... 43

Appendix A. Overview of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee .......... 44

Appendix B. Federal Authorities by Agency........................................................................ 46

Appendix C. NOAA Marine Debris Funded Projects........................................................... 48
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Figures

Figure 1: Overview of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee ........................ 45

Tables

Table 1: FY2014 to FY2015 Agency Marine Debris Funding..................................................... 42

Table 2: Federal Authorities by Agency....................................................................................... 46

Table 3: NOAA MDP-Funded Prevention through Education and Outreach Projects ................ 48

Table 4: NOAA MDP-Funded Educational Displays................................................................... 50

Table 5: NOAA MDP-Funded Community-Based Marine Debris Removal Projects................. 51

Table 6: NOAA MDP-Funded Research Projects........................................................................ 53
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Acronyms

APEC Asia-Pacific Economic 

Cooperation

APPS Act to Prevent Pollution from 

Ships

BPA Bisphenol A

BSEE Bureau of Safety and 

Environmental Enforcement

CalEPA California EPA

CalRecycle California Department of

Resources Recycling and 

Recovery

CBD Center for Biological Diversity

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental 

Response, Compensation and 

Liability Act

CFR Code of Federal Regulations

COA Certificate of Adequacy

COASST Coastal Observation and 

Seabird Survey Team

CWA Clean Water Act

DFG Derelict Fishing Gear

DOC Department of Commerce

DOD Department of Defense

DOI Department of the Interior

DOJ Department of Justice

DOS Department of State

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

ENRD Environment and Natural 

Resources Division

EPA U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency

EU European Union

FfE Fishing for Energy

FFS French Frigate Shoals

FOSC Federal On-Scene Coordinator

F/V Fishing Vessel

FY Fiscal Year

G7 The Group of 7

GPML Global Partnership on Marine 

Litter

HI-MDAP Hawaii Marine Debris Action 

Plan

ICC International Coastal Cleanup

IMDCC Interagency Marine Debris 

Coordinating Committee

IMO International Maritime 

Organization

ISO International Organization for 

Standardization

JTMD Japan Tsunami Marine Debris

MARPOL International Convention for the 

Prevention of Pollution from 

Ships

MD-MAP Marine Debris Monitoring 

and Assessment Project

MDP NOAA Marine Debris Program

MDRPRA Marine Debris Research, 

Prevention, and Reduction Act

MEP Marine Environmental 

Protection

MMC Marine Mammal Commission

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

MPPRCA Marine Plastics Pollution 

Research and Control Act of 

1987

MS4 Municipal Separate Storm 

Sewer Permits

MSD Marine Safety Detachment

M/V Motor Vessel

NAMEPA North American Marine 

Environment Protection 

Association
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Acronyms

NAS National Academy of Sciences

NCP National Oil and Hazardous 

Substances Pollution 

Contingency Plan

NGOs Non-Governmental 

Organizations

NOAA National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration

NOP National Ocean Policy

NPS National Park Service

NRC National Research Council

NWHI Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

OES U.S. State Department Bureau 

of Oceans and International 

Environmental and Scientific 

Affairs

OPA Oil Pollution Act

OSLTF Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund

PA Preliminary Assessment

PACAREA Pacific Area

PAME Arctic Council’s Protection 

of the Arctic Marine 

Environment Group

PBTs Persistent, Bioaccumulative, 

and Toxic Substances

PCBs Polychlorinated Biphenyls

PMNM Papahānaumokuākea Marine 

National Monument

PSI Product Stewardship Institute

RNSP Redwood National and State 

Parks

SAR Synthetic Aperture Radar

SOLAS International Convention for 

the Safety of Life at Sea

TFW Trash Free Waters

TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load

T/V Training Vessel

UAS Unmanned Aircraft Systems

UNEP United Nations Environment 

Programme

USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

USCG U.S. Coast Guard

USCGC U.S. Coast Guard Cutter

USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

VMDRP Virginia Marine Debris 

Response Plan

WCGA West Coast Governors Alliance
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1.0 Executive Summary

This Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) Progress Report provides an 

update on the activities federal agencies have undertaken between January 2014 and December 

2015 to address marine debris, as mandated by the Marine Debris Act (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq.).

The Act requires the IMDCC to submit biennial progress reports that evaluate the United States 

and international progress in meeting the purposes of the Act. 

This is the fourth progress report since the publication of the first Interagency Report on Marine 

Debris Sources, Impacts, Strategies, and Recommendations, submitted to Congress in August 

2008. This progress report includes all of the information requested in the Act, Section 5(c)(2), 

entitled “Biennial Progress Reports,” including the following:

Section 3.0: the status of implementation of any recommendations and strategies of the 

Interagency Committee and analysis of their effectiveness

Section 4.0: a summary of the marine debris inventory to be maintained by the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Section 5.0: a review of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, including projects funded 

and accomplishments relating to reduction and prevention of marine debris

Section 6.0: a review of Coast Guard programs and accomplishments relating to marine 

debris removal, including enforcement and compliance with MARPOL requirements

Section 7.0: estimated federal and non-federal funding provided for marine debris and 

recommendations for priority funding needs

The appendices contain an overview of the IMDCC, relevant federal agency authorities, and 

projects funded through the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
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2.0 Introduction

2.1 Overview of the Marine Debris Issue

Marine debris is one of the most pervasive global threats to the health of the ocean and our 

waterways and is an issue of growing local, regional, national, and international concern. Marine 

debris can injure or kill marine and coastal wildlife; damage and degrade habitats; interfere with 

navigational safety; cause economic loss to fishing and maritime industries, and coastal 

communities; and threaten human health and safety.

Marine debris is defined as “any persistent solid material that is manufactured or processed and 

directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, disposed of or abandoned into the marine 

environment or Great Lakes.”1 Anything man-made – such as vessels, fishing gear, plastic bags, 

beverage bottles, and food wrappers – can become marine debris through dumping, improper 

waste management, litter that is blown or washed out to sea through storm drains, and extreme 

natural events which can transport both small and large debris into the ocean.

Major marine debris events caused by natural disasters such as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and 

tsunami in Japan and Hurricane Sandy which hit the East Coast of the United States in 2012 have 

brought international attention to the marine debris issue. While these extreme events have called 

attention to the issue, there has also been an increasing recognition that marine debris is a

persistent, everyday problem.

Plastics, one of the most pervasive types of marine debris, are drawing increasing public 

concern. Plastics are used in many aspects of daily life and as society has developed new uses for 

plastics, the variety and quantity of plastic items found in the marine environment has increased 

dramatically. Plastics are a very visible part of the marine debris problem but many of the 

impacts of plastic on the marine environment are only starting to be understood. Research has 

revealed that most commonly used plastics, once in the marine environment, do not completely 

degrade into organic and inorganic molecules but instead break into smaller and smaller pieces –

these piece are called microplastics when they are smaller than 5mm. Research has also shown 

that plastic debris is a potential vector for the transfer of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic 

pollutants (PBTs) from the water to the food web, potentially creating a risk to marine species 

and human health.2 This and other unanswered questions about marine plastics and how they 

affect the health of our oceans are propelling new research.

A second highly visible form of marine debris of great concern is derelict fishing gear (DFG).

DFG has numerous impacts including: damaging marine habitats, entangling marine species 

including seabirds and marine mammals, creating hazards to navigation, and ghost fishing of 

commercially important species resulting in lost catch opportunities and economic losses for 

fishermen. 

 1 Marine Debris Act (as amended) (33 U.S.C. § 1956). 2 Rochman, Chelsea M., et. al. 2013. “Ingested Plastic Transfers Hazardous Chemicals to Fish and Induces Hepatic 

Stress.” Nature, Scientific Reports. (3).
9

Abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) are a third highly visible type of marine debris with 

thousands littering our Nation’s coastal waters. ADVs threaten our ocean, coasts, and waterways 

by obstructing navigational channels, causing harm to the environment, and diminishing 

commercial and recreational activities. 

From consumer items to lost fishing gear to ADVs, marine debris is polluting the global ocean.

The problem is big, however it is not unsolvable. Marine debris is preventable through an 

increased awareness about the problem, changing individuals’ behaviors, and improvements to 

waste infrastructure.

The Federal Government has recognized that the problem of marine debris can be dealt with

effectively by ensuring a comprehensive approach that is local in scale and global in scope, 

directed at source prevention, and establishes an educated community that can be empowered to 

take action.3 The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee (IMDCC) is a multiagency body tasked with ensuring that this comprehensive approach is implemented to address 

marine debris. 

2.2 The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee

The IMDCC was established by Congress under the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and 

Control Act of 1987 (MPPRCA) and was re-established under the Marine Debris Act.

4 The 

IMDCC is the interagency coordinating body responsible for addressing marine debris. The 

IMDCC is made up of the following federal agencies:

• Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) –

Chair; 

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Vice-chair; 

• Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), 

• Department of Defense, U.S. Navy (Navy); 

• Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG); 

• Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), 

• Department of Interior, National Park Service (NPS); 

• Department of Interior, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE); 

• Department of State (DOS); 

• Marine Mammal Commission (MMC); 

• Department of Justice (DOJ)

The IMDCC is primarily responsible for sharing information, assessing and implementing best 

management practices, and coordinating interagency responses to everyday marine debris and 

severe marine debris events. The IMDCC ensures coordination of federal agency research 

priorities, monitoring techniques, educational programs, and regulatory actions. The IMDCC is 

also responsible for recommending priorities and strategies, both nationally and internationally, 

 3 IMDCC. August 2008. “Interagency Report on Marine Debris Sources, Impacts, Strategies & Recommendations.” 

4 (33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., as amended by Title VI of Pub. L. No. 112-213)
10

to identify, determine sources of, assess, reduce, and prevent marine debris, and mitigate the 

adverse impact on the marine environment, natural resources, and vessels.

In 2008, the IMDCC developed a report titled “Interagency Report on Marine Debris Sources, 

Impacts, Strategies, and Recommendations” which was written in response to a congressional 

charge to submit to Congress a report that identifies the sources of marine debris; the ecological 

and economic impacts of marine debris; alternatives for reducing, mitigating, preventing, and 

controlling the harmful effects of marine debris; the social and economic costs and benefits of 

such alternatives; and recommendations to reduce marine debris both domestically and 

internationally. The 2008 report presented recommendations to guide the Federal Government’s 

strategies with respect to the problems of persistent marine debris. 

This report, like the three previous biennial IMDCC reports to Congress, provides status updates 

on the IMDCC federal agency partner activities to implement the 2008 report recommendations

and an analysis of their effectiveness. This report also addresses the reporting requirements 

outlined in the Marine Debris Act which includes: a summary of the marine debris inventory to 

be maintained by NOAA; a review of the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) authorized by 

section 3 of the Marine Debris Act, including projects funded and accomplishments relating to 

reduction and prevention of marine debris; a review of the USCG program and accomplishments 

relating to marine debris removal, including enforcement and compliance with MARPOL 

requirements; and estimated federal and non-federal funding provided for marine debris and 

recommendations for priority funding needs.

Over the past two years since the previous report, the IMDCC has worked to address the 

recommendations of the 2008 report, focusing in depth on coordinating efforts on marine debris 

prevention through education and outreach, research and monitoring, and removal. The IMDCC 

has also addressed emergent marine debris issues including evaluating economic costs of marine 

debris, emergency response planning, potential marine debris impacts of opening arctic shipping 

routes, and region specific marine debris issues and efforts. In addition, as attention to the issue 

of marine debris has increased, the IMDCC and the member agencies have increasingly become 

engaged in international coordination.
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3.0 Implementation of IMDCC recommendations and strategies

The 2008 “Interagency Report on Marine Debris Sources, Impacts, Strategies, and 

Recommendations” provided a detailed review of the problems associated with marine debris and 

laid out 25 recommendations intended to guide the Federal Government’s strategies with respect 

to the problems of persistent marine debris. The recommendations were categorized into eight 

overarching topics: Education and Outreach, Legislation/Regulation/Policy, Incentive Programs, 

Enforcement, Cleanups, Research, Technology Development, and Fostering Coordination. The 

following section includes the 2008 report recommendations and activities and progress of the 

IMDCC agencies since the last report for each topic area.

3.1 Status of activities related to IMDCC recommendations 

Education and Outreach

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies should demonstrate leadership by distributing educational materials to 

personnel on the sources and impacts of marine debris as well as methods for prevention,

with the goal of reducing the federal contribution to marine debris.

 Federal agencies should support public awareness campaigns by providing technical 

expertise and educational materials and by encouraging private sector participation, when 

appropriate. These campaigns may target specific threats and audiences to address the 

diversity of the marine debris issue.

 Federal agencies should engage and partner with state, local, tribal, and nongovernmental entities to support coordinated events, such as Earth Day, the International 

Coastal Cleanup (ICC), and other activities that have relevance to marine debris. These 

events should include nationwide educational and media outreach efforts to enhance 

awareness of sources and impacts of marine debris and provide recommendations 

regarding specific actions that can be taken to prevent or reduce marine debris.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Each year, the NOAA Marine Debris Program funds grants through its Prevention through 

Education and Outreach grant program. The NOAA Marine Debris Program initiated 10 new 

prevention projects in 2014 and 13 new projects in 2015. Through these projects the program 

partners with federal, state, local agencies, and non-governmental organizations to educate the 

public about marine debris. In addition to the prevention grants, the NOAA Marine Debris 

Program conducts direct education and outreach across the country through activities and tools

including: an annual K-8th grade art contest, educational displays in visitor centers, outreach to 

school children and teachers, stakeholder workshops, a monthly newsletter, and social media.

For more information, please view the complete overview of the Marine Debris Program’s 

education and outreach priorities in Section 5.2.
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United States Coast Guard

The USCG works with its interagency partners, industry, and non-governmental groups to 

highlight and disseminate information on USCG implementation of international regulations to 

prevent pollution from ships, including ship-generated MARPOL Annex V wastes. Outreach 

efforts include presentations at national and international forums, development of best practice 

guidance for waste management aboard ships and at shore reception facilities, and outreach 

through the Sea Partners Campaign, local Coast Guard units and the USCG Auxiliary. 

Environmental Protection Agency

Land-based sources account for a majority of trash in the ocean and coastal environments. EPA 

has established the national Trash Free Waters (TFW) program to encourage collaborative 

actions by public and private stakeholders to prevent trash from entering water. EPA provides 

information online to inform the public about trash-free waters and marine debris and provide 

information on actions that the public can take to reduce the loadings of trash and debris into 

U.S. waterways. The national EPA Trash Free Waters website provides extensive information on 

EPA’s Trash Free Waters program.

EPA’s Trash Free Waters program has initiated a process to analyze and address factors that 

limit the success of the many education and outreach programs that seek to prevent littering and 

improper trash disposal. The Agency will work with communication experts in government and 

the private sector to develop strategies that combine innovative messaging with targeted actions 

to define the next generation of behavior modification strategies for trash prevention.

EPA has also participated in the development of a toolkit to highlight the need and the manner in 

which source reduction can help reduce marine debris and coastal pollution. The Campus Toolkit 

is a detailed “how to” guide for reducing plastic waste on college campuses and other 

institutions, especially those located in coastal communities, to help reduce marine debris and 

coastal pollution. This marine debris and plastic source reduction toolkit for colleges and 

universities was funded by an EPA grant and resulted from a successful two-year pilot project by

the PSI at three coastal University of California campuses.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

The BSEE Marine Trash & Debris Program requires annual training of all workers employed or 

contracted by oil and gas operators in the offshore Gulf of Mexico. The training highlights the 

problems caused by marine debris and explains required protocols that workers must follow to 

prevent loss of debris into the marine environment. The BSEE is developing a new training video

which will be available in March 2017.

National Park Service

The National Park System includes 87 units on the ocean and Great Lakes with more than 11,000 

miles of shoreline and 2.5 million acres of coastal waters, across 22 states and four territories.

These parks attract more than 88 million recreational visits per year. As people visit parks to 

experience the oceans and coasts, the NPS encourages them to participate in citizen science and 

stewardship programs. To remove typical marine debris, the National Parks sponsor cleanups 

during the annual International Coastal Cleanup and National Public Lands Day, or on other 

dates in collaboration with public agencies, local nonprofit organizations and park partner 
13

associations described in this report. Thousands of volunteers remove many tons of debris from 

park shorelines each year. Participants either utilize the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and 

Assessment Project protocols or other protocols and guidance to record information on marine 

debris types they collect. During the process, they learn about the impacts of marine debris and 

contribute to monitoring and assessment of debris on park shorelines.

Legislation / Regulation / Policy

2008 Report Recommendations

 The IMDCC should review the findings from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 

study that will assess the effectiveness of international and national measures to prevent 

and reduce marine debris and its impacts, and federal agencies should take action, as 

appropriate.

 Federal agencies should seek ways to strengthen and enhance their ability to fulfill both 

regulatory and non-regulatory mandates for marine debris prevention, where appropriate.

Table 2, which lists federal marine debris related authorities, may be used for review and 

assessment of existing authorities.

 The IMDCC should coordinate a correspondence group of state, local, and tribal 

governments to determine the marine debris–related authorities and policies at those 

levels, including both those that address land-based sources of marine debris and those 

that address ocean-based sources. The correspondence group will be an important 

component in the IMDCC’s gap analysis of regulatory and non-regulatory authorities that 

can be used to promote marine debris prevention.

 Federal agencies, coordinating through the IMDCC, should review existing international 

policies and strategies regarding marine debris from both land-based and ocean-based 

sources, and develop a white paper outlining possible policies or actions for consideration 

by the United States.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

In 2014 and 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program worked with state and local governments 

to identify authorities and policies addressing derelict fishing gear and abandoned and derelict 

vessels. The removal of both DFG and ADVs often falls under state policies which can vary 

greatly state-by-state. To better understand the state regulations addressing the removal of 

derelict fishing gear across the country, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, in partnership with 

the Sea Grant Law Center at the University of Mississippi through a ‘Fishing for Energy’ grant, 

has initiated a review of the legal frameworks governing the placement and removal of fishing 

gear in eleven states. 

Abandoned and derelict vessels negatively impact marine waterways and communities and 

present a challenge to state and local coastal managers. Part of the challenge with addressing 

ADVs is that each case is unique and has numerous variables including ownership, jurisdiction, 

liability, and appropriate legislation or regulations. In an effort to clarify the roles of federal 

agencies in addressing ADVs, state laws and regulations, and state ADV programs, the NOAA 

Marine Debris Program launched the ADV InfoHub in November 2015. The ADV InfoHub is a 
14

central source of information regarding ADVs and the policies surrounding them, including how 

ADVs are handled by each state, each coastal state’s ADV legislation, ADV case studies, and 

information on state programs. In the development of this tool, the NOAA Marine Debris 

Program consulted with stakeholders through a workshop held in April 2015.

United States Coast Guard

The USCG enforces the vessel-generated waste provisions of MARPOL, through the Act to 

Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS)5 and the implementing regulations6 issued there under. 

The USCG also has authority for removal of marine debris in certain circumstances under the 

authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), if there is an actual or potential pollution hazard.

The USCG may also act under the authority of the Abandoned Barge Act and work with NOAA 

and the USACE in removal of vessels that pose a navigation hazard or damage to sensitive 

marine environments.

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA has a unique capacity, as a national regulatory agency with ten regional offices and 

programs ranging from ocean and coastal protection to solid waste and storm water management, 

to address trash in waters and marine debris at the source, as it moves through the watershed, and 

as it settles in the marine environment. EPA identified prevention of land-based sources entering 

waters as the primary theme for its Trash Free Waters Program. EPA focuses on maximizing the 

agency’s ability to fulfill both regulatory and non-regulatory mandates for aquatic trash/marine 

debris prevention through its Offices of (1) Resource Conservation and Recovery, (2) 

Wastewater Management, (3) Pollution Prevention and Toxics, (4) Solid Waste, (5) International 

and Tribal Affairs, (6) Research and Development, and (7) Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds.

There are a number of statutory and regulatory tools that exist at the federal, state, and municipal

levels to explicitly limit the amount of trash that enters aquatic ecosystems. Within EPA’s 

statutory authorities, Municipal Separate Storm Sewer (MS4) permits can be written to set 

standards for trash being released from storm water outfalls into municipal rivers and streams. In 

addition, a small number of municipal jurisdictions have set Total Maximum Daily Load

(TMDL) limits for trash entering water bodies, as a means of complying with state and regional 

water quality standards. Specifically, EPA Region 9 is engaged regarding the impacts of trash on 

waters in California and final approval of new Water Quality Standards that address trash is 

expected in 2016. This approach will reduce trash in the environment and benefit the ongoing 

assessment of impacts of trash on waters in the state of California.

The Clean Water Act does not mandate the use of these regulatory mechanisms for trash, 

however; they are tools that localities may use in conjunction with other non-regulatory 

measures to reduce trash loadings into water. During the past couple years, EPA’s Trash Free 

Waters program has embarked on a series of regional initiatives to help states, cities, and other 

 5 33 U.S.C. § 1901 et seq. 6 33 C.F.R. pts. 151 & 158.
15

important constituent groups determine whether and how best to apply the wide range of 

regulatory and non-regulatory tools at their disposal to keep trash out of water. EPA has 

completed and is implementing regional strategies with projects in major coastal areas of the 

United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, Mid-Atlantic, California and the Pacific Islands, 

New York/New Jersey, and Puerto Rico. For example, Louisiana worked with EPA’s TFW 

program to develop a “start to finish” handbook that details how to establish a litter abatement 

program. 

U.S. Navy

In the period since the previous IMDCC progress report, the U.S. Navy has developed 

improvements to existing solid waste equipment and procedures onboard our ships. Specifically, 

Navy has reengineered our approximately150 large pulpers to replace outdated components, 

reduce maintenance, and restore performance. The Navy continues to examine methods and 

equipment to be integrated into new design warships to enable zero discharge of paper, 

cardboard, metal and glass in order to fully comply with new domestic and international 

discharge regulations.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

The BSEE Marine Trash & Debris Program establishes policies and procedures based on 30 CFR 

250.300 for compliance of offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico. These policies 

include annual training for offshore workers, visible signage on offshore structures, and annual 

reporting requirements. Due to the success of the Marine Trash & Debris Program in the Gulf of 

Mexico, the BSEE began expanding the program nationally to the remainder of the offshore oil 

and gas operators. In addition, BSEE regulations require operators to remove structures, 

equipment, and obstructions on leases and within easements and rights-of-way following 

cessation of operations. A total of 4,741 structures have been removed over the history of the 

offshore program since 1973; 202 were removed in 2014; 117 were removed in 2015. 

National Park Service

The National Park Service (NPS) has authority to address marine debris impacts under the NPS 

Organic Act of 1916 (as amended and supplemented), which directs the Service to conserve the 

scenery, natural and historic objects and wild life of National Park System units unimpaired for 

the enjoyment of future generations. 36 CFR § 2.14 prohibits disposing of refuse other than in 

refuse receptacles. Individual parks may publish rules under the Superintendent’s Compendium 

that control refuse and waste disposal and recycling. 2006 Management Policies 8.6.2.2 prohibits 

release of helium balloons in parks. In addition, NPS includes provisions in contracts for 

commercial visitor services to reduce, recycle or properly dispose of waste products.

Incentive Programs

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies should support voluntary, incentive-based programs that encourage 

communities to adopt environmentally responsible practices. Examples may include Heal 

the Bay’s “A Day Without a Bag” Program (a southern California non-profit 

organization) and the Clean Marina Program, an initiative involving federal agencies and 

state governments.
16

 Federal agencies should work with state, local, tribal, and non-governmental entities to 

develop efficient recycling incentive programs for municipalities or appropriate venues.

 Federal agencies, where appropriate, should evaluate methods by which users of products 

that contribute significantly to marine debris can be given an incentive to select 

environmentally friendly alternatives or improve use of recycling infrastructure. Such 

incentive programs or pilot projects should include regular monitoring and evaluation of 

their effectiveness.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

The NOAA Marine Debris Program partners with Covanta Energy, Schnitzer Steel, and the 

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on Fishing for Energy, an innovative program to provide 

fishermen with a no-cost option to dispose of unwanted gear. The gear is then separated into 

material that can be recycled by Schnitzer Steel and material that is turned to energy in 

Covanta’s Facilities. To date, more than 3 million pounds of gear has been collected at bins 

placed in 44 communities across the country through the Fishing for Energy program. In 

addition to the bin program, the NOAA Marine Debris Program supports approximately five 

prevention and research projects annually with the fishing community through the Fishing for

Energy program.

United States Coast Guard

Every two years the USCG solicits applications from the Maritime Industry for the prestigious 

Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Award for Environmental Excellence. This program 

recognizes corporations and businesses involved in marine facility or vessel operations that have 

demonstrated sustained excellence and outstanding achievement in protecting the marine 

environment.

Environmental Protection Agency

Under the guidance of EPA’s Region 2 office and the New York State Department of 

Environmental Conservation, a team of graduate students from Columbia University in New 

York recently published a report entitled, “Quantifying the Costs of Managing Marine Debris,” 

which shows that municipalities in the Hudson-Raritan estuary, which encompasses New York 

City, spend an astounding $59 million annually in aquatic trash management efforts. By showing 

the large reactive tax-payer costs involved in the pervasive aquatic trash issue, this economic 

study further highlights the need for programs like EPA’s Trash Free Waters which catalyze 

proactive strategies that target source reduction and systemic changes in littering behavior. 

EPA is also conducting an analysis of available data on the cost impacts of trash on the economy.

The scope of the project includes the societal costs of “reactive” trash management (both the 

direct costs of clean-up/remediation and the indirect costs to local economies and business 

sectors) and the benefits of “preventive” actions. In 2016, the Agency will release a white paper 

which looks at the national costs of managing aquatic trash. 

Over the past couple years, EPA’s Trash Free Waters program developed several other projects 

that seek innovative incentives for citizens, businesses, and government agencies to prevent 
17

loadings of land-based trash into water much more effectively, including the regional planning 

efforts mentioned more in the “Fostering Collaboration” Section.

Enforcement

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies should continue to review enforcement authorities regarding marine 

debris and items that may become marine debris, enhance the effective use of those 

authorities as needed and appropriate, and ensure a coordinated approach to enforcement 

of relevant authorities.

 In appropriate cases, federal agencies should refer violations of federal law, such as the 

Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, Clean Water Act, and Ocean Dumping Act, to the 

Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for civil 

or criminal enforcement action.

United States Coast Guard

New MARPOL Annex V Amendments, prohibiting the discharge, with very few exceptions, of 

most Annex V wastes (all of which would contribute to marine debris), came into effect on 

January 1, 2013. With implementing regulations in place, USCG enforcement of strict discharge 

regulations for ships continued throughout the 2014-2015 period. In 2015, the Polar Code 

Amendments to MARPOL were approved at International Maritime Organization (IMO) (and 

will come into effect on January 1, 2017), creating new challenges for USCG enforcement 

activities in Alaskan waters, including those associated with prevention of pollution from ships 

that can contribute to marine debris in Arctic waters.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

The BSEE Marine Trash & Debris Program conducted on-site inspections of a number of oil and 

gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Company compliance has proven to be good and these 

inspections have increased awareness among companies and workers.

Department of Justice

DOJ continues to address the problem of marine debris through judicial civil and criminal 

enforcement of environmental violations involving marine debris. Agencies such as EPA, 

NOAA, and the Coast Guard refer cases to DOJ, where they are handled by the Environment and 

Natural Resources Division (ENRD), sometimes working with the U.S. Attorneys’ offices 

[Recommendation 4.2, Enforcement].

For example, in June 2015, Norbulk Shipping UK was sentenced after pleading guilty to failing 

to maintain an accurate oil record book in violation of the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships 

(APPS) and providing false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard in the vessel’s garbage record 

book. The company will pay a fine and complete a three-year term of probation. The vessel’s 

chief mate also pleaded guilty to an APPS violation and was sentenced to three months’ 

incarceration. The violations arose in April 2014 when, under the chief mate’s direction, crew 

members dumped 20 steel barrels of hydraulic oil from the M/V Murcia Carrier, a Panamanianflagged cargo vessel operated by Norbulk. Each barrel dumped overboard contained 

approximately 55 gallons of oil from the ship’s hydraulic cranes. The discharges occurred while 
18

the vessel was in international waters off the coast of Florida, en route from Costa Rica to New 

Jersey, and the chief mate presented falsified oil and garbage record books to Coast Guard 

personnel when the vessel arrived in New Jersey.

In addition, in November 2015 a federal jury convicted Det Stavangerske Dampskibsselskab AS 

(DSD Shipping) and three of its senior engineering officers of obstructing justice, violating 

APPS, witness tampering and conspiracy; a fourth employee pleaded guilty in October. DSD 

Shipping is a Norwegian-based shipping company that operates crude oil tankers, which are 

legally required to use a pollution prevention device to preclude discharge of the large quantities 

of waste oil and oil-contaminated wastewater generated by such vessels. Any discharges must be 

documented in an oil record book, a log regularly inspected by the Coast Guard. Here, DSD 

Shipping knew that the equipment aboard its vessel, the M/T Stavanger Blossom, was inoperable 

but, rather than repair or replace the device, the company used various methods to bypass it and 

force the discharge of approximately 20,000 gallons of oil-contaminated wastewater into the 

ocean. In addition, DSD employees intentionally discharged approximately 264 gallons of fuel 

oil sludge in plastic garbage bags directly into the ocean. DSD Shipping and the four individual 

defendants all attempted to hide these discharges from the U.S. Coast Guard by making false and 

fictitious entries in the vessel’s oil record book and garbage record book. Two defendants later

lied to the U.S. Coast Guard about the discharge of sludge and ordered lower ranking 

crewmembers to do the same.

Finally, DOJ enforcement of pollution laws such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery 

Act and the Clean Water Act, as well as ocean dumping and natural resource damage provisions, 

addresses the problem of marine debris by targeting pollution that, while not directly released 

into the ocean, may migrate downstream and eventually contribute to such debris.

Cleanups

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies should work together and contribute to coordinated removal efforts of 

marine debris and items that can become marine debris in areas under federal jurisdiction, 

with priority given to heavily impacted areas.

 Federal agencies should examine how existing programs can be targeted to support 

difficult marine debris removal efforts. 

 Federal agencies should partner with state, local, tribal, and non-governmental entities to 

continue to support and conduct cleanup efforts.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Each year, the NOAA Marine Debris Program funds marine debris removal projects through its 

Community-based Marine Debris Removal Grants. In 2014, 11 removal grants were awarded in 

cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Service Restoration Center. In 2015, 13 grants 

were awarded and the grant program was run directly through the NOAA Marine Debris 

Program. These community-based removal projects, which occur nationwide, empower local 

groups to remove derelict vessels, tires, pilings, nets, or litter from their coastlines. For a more 

in-depth description of the Marine Debris Program’s cleanup priorities, see Section 5.3.
19

Environmental Protection Agency

EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Office (Region 9) undertook significant efforts to remove 

threats to human health and the environment posed by marine debris at several sites on the West 

Coast. Because marine debris typically harbors hazardous substances and/or oil, existing federal 

pollution response authorities and funding sources were used to address these risks (i.e., Federal 

hazardous substance and oil response authority under CWA and CERCLA, and funding 

authorities under CERCLA for hazardous substances and the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) for oil.”), 

and their implementing regulations, found at the National Oil and Hazardous Substances 

Pollution Contingency Plan (the NCP).

Region 9 has coordinated with USCG and California EPA (CalEPA) on key abandoned vessels 

and marine debris cleanups in Northern California, including in the Petaluma River, Bodega Bay, 

the California Bay-Delta, the Sacramento River, Humboldt Bay, the Tijuana Estuary and the 

Oakland Estuary (San Francisco Bay). Since 2011, EPA and its federal and state partners 

removed over 200 abandoned vessels and other marine debris at these sites at a total combined 

cost of approximately $15 million. Of this amount, approximately 40 percent came from EPA’s 

Regional Superfund Advice of Allowance and 20 percent from the National Oil Spill Liability 

Trust Fund. The remainder of the costs, approximately 40 percent, was contributed by CalEPA 

and included allocations and a $650,000 grant from the Cosco Busan Oil Spill Settlement fund 

administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The projects included removal of 

abandoned vessels, dilapidated piers, and debris piles. Projects also addressed hazardous waste 

containers like oil tanks, lead-based paints, asbestos, marine batteries and e-wastes among many 

other contaminants and solid waste.

EPA encourages participation in the annual International Coastal Cleanup events sponsored by 

the Ocean Conservancy and has participated and partnered with others for trash and debris 

removal. On February 17-19, 2015, EPA Region 9 (along with staff from the San Diego Border 

Office) partnered with the U.S. Navy to remove trash and debris from three military beaches in 

Coronado, CA. This annual event, which has been taking place for the last three years, is 

memorialized in a Letter of Agreement between the U.S. Navy and EPA Region 9. EPA will use 

the trash data from the cleanup to assist with the source reduction efforts in California and the 

Pacific Islands Region. With 417 volunteers participating in this year’s effort, it was possible to 

remove 4.15 tons of trash and debris.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Every September, dozens of coastal National Wildlife Refuges and refuge Friends Groups 

organize their local communities to participate in the International Coastal Cleanup. Refuge 

visitor services staff use these cleanup events as opportunities to also provide an educational 

experience for the public about the threats that marine debris poses to wildlife.

Hundreds of hours of staff/volunteer time are spent collecting marine debris on Pacific refuges, 

including Palmyra Atoll, Midway Atoll, Rose Atoll, Johnston Atoll, Guam, Hawaiian Islands, 

and James Campbell National Wildlife Refuges.
20

National Park Service

Park staff and volunteers conducted cleanups across all regions of the National Park System in 

2014 and 2015. Marine debris damages coastal habitats, poses risks of injury to animals and 

potential hazards to visitors, and detracts from the beauty of National Parks. In order to safely 

and effectively remove marine debris, NPS must adapt to local weather, geography, and 

environmental conditions unique to 87 park units on the oceans and Great Lakes. Organizational 

capacity for marine debris removal is greatly enhanced by utilizing volunteers and collaborating 

with external public and private entities. For example, more than 1,700 volunteers dedicated 

6,250 hours to remove debris deposited by Hurricane Sandy at Gateway National Recreation 

Area in New Jersey and New York. At Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and 

Virginia, 2.66 tons of trash was removed, including buoys, treated lumber, tires, plastic bottles,

and balloons during the seashore’s 50th anniversary celebration in 2015. Over 200 volunteers 

participated in three cleanups at Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida and Mississippi.

Partners included nonprofit organizations, universities, school groups, private corporations, and 

state and local governments.

Alaska Marine Debris Removal Projects

Many Alaskan beaches in the National Parks receive significant accumulations of marine debris 

due to vessel traffic, ocean currents, and storm surges (Howell et al. 2012). Removal operations 

in remote locations can present extreme logistical challenges. In 2013, Katmai National Park 

partnered with the Alaska SeaLife Center’s GYRE project to remove marine debris from Hallo 

Bay. Nearly 4,400 pounds of debris were removed. Fishing-related debris (buoys, floats, rope, 

line and netting) accounted for over 60 percent of the total debris weight. In 2015, NPS collected 

over eleven tons of debris on 28 beaches and approximately 50 miles of coastline in five 

National Park System units in the Western Arctic and Gulf of Alaska (Katmai National Park and 

Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Bering Land Bridge 

National Park and Preserve, and Cape Krusenstern National Monument). Major debris types 

were recorded by weight, with hard plastic constituting 60 percent, ropes and nets 15 percent, 

and foam 13 percent of debris collected. Some of the debris originated from the Japan Tsunami.

Alaska parks deployed staff and volunteers and utilized significant funding and logistical support 

from multiple partners, including the National Park Foundation, NPS Water Resources Division 

/Ocean and Coastal Resources Branch, Gulf of Alaska Keeper, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Waste Management and local boroughs and school districts. Periodic removals and debris 

assessments in Alaska parks will continue to be critical with the changing climate, exploration, 

and increased vessel traffic, especially in the Western Arctic.

U.S. Navy

At the local level, Navy continues to partner with state and local authorities to assist in the 

removal of marine debris, as well as conduct beach and shore cleanups at its installations.

Department of State

The Department continued to support the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup 

activities in 2014 and 2015. It helped mobilize 40 posts/locations to participate in the 2015 

Cleanup, including Bureau of Oceans and Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) Assistant 

Secretary (Acting) Judy Garber’s participation in the local Washington DC event and a number 

of Ambassadors around the world. The Department also highlighted the event via social media 
21

and promoted the initiative through Department alumni and outreach materials including Bureau 

of International Information Services’ ShareAmerica articles.

Research

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies, coordinating through the IMDCC, should sponsor and conduct research 

to characterize the nature of marine debris and further investigate reducing, mitigating, 

preventing, and controlling marine debris and assessing its impacts, with a particular 

focus on developing cost-benefit analyses for these actions.

 Federal agencies, cooperating through the IMDCC, should improve efforts to monitor 

marine debris, including shoreline, floating, and submerged debris, using lessons learned 

from previous federally funded monitoring efforts.

 The IMDCC should convene a special session at least once a year to share and discuss the 

latest research findings on marine debris, with summaries and identified gaps to be 

passed to the Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources (SIMOR)7

and the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST).8

 Federal agencies, coordinating through the IMDCC, should sponsor and conduct research 

regarding the attitudes and practices of users of products that contribute to marine debris.

In particular, such research should (a) investigate the willingness to alter attitudes and 

practices in a manner that would reduce marine debris; (b) identify preferences with 

regard to potential incentive programs and which types of incentives are most likely to 

produce positive responses; and (c) develop and test incentive programs intended to alter 

attitudes and/or practices among users of products that contribute to marine debris.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

In 2014 and 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program continued to implement the program’s 

research strategy for 2012-2016. Research focuses for these years included assessing derelict 

fishing gear impacts and assessing microplastic occurrence and accumulation. For a more indepth description of the Marine Debris Program’s research priorities, see Section 5.5.

Environmental Protection Agency

In April 2014, EPA contracted with the National Research Council (NRC) to convene subjectmatter experts in a discussion forum to consider possible human health risks from microplastics 

in the marine environment. The purpose of the forum was to discuss available data and studies 

on the issue of possible human health risks from microplastics in the marine environment. The 

participating subject-matter experts were asked to provide insights on the current scientific basis 

for determining human health risks, based on a review of scientific research done to date. The 

 7 The Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources is now the Ocean Resource Management 

Interagency Policy Committee (ORM-IPC) 8 The Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology is now the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and 

Technology (SOST) and the Ocean Science and Technology Interagency Policy Committee (OST-IPC)
22

experts also were asked to identify data gaps and make suggestions for further study. EPA 

prepared a document summarizing this discussion entitled, “Summary of Expert Discussion 

Forum on Possible Human Health Risks from Microplastics in the Marine Environment.”

Building on the recommendations generated from this discussion, in May 2015, EPA convened 

an internal workgroup of technical experts from Headquarters, Regions, and our labs to identify 

research priorities from an EPA perspective. Based on research done to date and expert 

recommendations, the EPA workgroup drafted a white paper that will be used to consult 

internally and externally to assess additional research project ideas to consider for Agency 

programs to sponsor.

On September 9, 2014, EPA in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 

released the Preliminary Assessment (PA) of Tern Island and the associated Technical Support 

Document in response to the petition EPA received from the Center for Biological Diversity

(CBD) in December 2012. The CBD petition asked EPA to assess the impacts of marine debris 

on sensitive species in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), an area covering almost 

140,000 square miles of Pacific Ocean.

In response to the petition, EPA and FWS limited the scope of this assessment to focus on Tern 

Island and the surrounding FFS located within the NWHI. A 16-year study spanning 1990 

through 2006 tabulated a total of 52,442 marine debris items deposited on Tern Island beaches 

alone. CBD agreed to this approach.

The PA concluded that contaminants have been released from Tern Island into the sensitive 

marine and terrestrial environments and further action on the part of the Federal Government is 

needed at this critical habitat site. The PA reviewed the role that microplastics may play as a 

mechanism to concentrate and transport hazardous substances to marine species via the food 

chain. Data collected from Tern Island show a clear progression of bioconcentration and 

biomagnification of PCBs in the local marine life.

EPA Region 9 is studying the impacts of marine microplastic pollution on marine life and human 

health. In collaboration with the University of California and State of California partners, we 

completed fish tissue studies in the North Pacific and South Atlantic gyres to investigate the 

uptake of toxic contaminants (hazardous substances) adsorbed to the surface of marine plastic 

particles into fish tissue. Initial results indicate that ingestion of microplastic correlates with 

increased body burden of contaminants. Lab study results appear to additionally show 

histopathology (e.g. tumor growth) and endocrine disruption effects. EPA is currently examining 

the stomach contents of the ocean study fish with the highest body loading of contaminants, 

investigating a correlation between plastic particles in the gut and increased concentrations of 

contaminants in the tissue.

At the behest of Cal Recycle, EPA Region 9 conducted microplastic studies on sediment 

accumulated in the Tijuana River Estuary Borderfield State Park. The sedimentation basins in the 

Estuary contain approximately 60,000 cubic yards of sediment and entrained trash which washes 

over the California/Mexico border during rain events. We sifted out (down to 1mm size) plastic 

particles from the sediment and performed contaminant analyses on both the sediment matrix 

and the plastic particles. As with studies analyzing seawater and co-located plastic particles, we 
23

found that concentrations of contaminants (hazardous substances) on the surface of the plastic 

particles were higher than concentrations found in the sediment.

National Park Service

In the 1990s, a pilot monitoring program conducted over several years in ten ocean parks 

contributed to development of monitoring protocols, volunteer training and education modules, 

and identification of the sources of debris.9 Coastal parks actively participate in citizen science, 

monitoring and removal in collaboration with public and private sector entities using the Marine 

Debris Tracker App, the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Protocols, and other 

tools.

Microplastics Surveys

Microplastics are small beads or fibers ranging from less than 5 mm to 0.33 um in size that enter 

water bodies and the ocean from wastewater treatment plants or surface runoff, or as larger 

plastic debris in the ocean that degrade and break down into smaller fragments. Microplastics 

can contain phthalates and BPAs and may also adsorb other organic pollutants such as PCBs and 

pesticides. The deposition of microplastics in rivers, oceans and estuaries and introduction of 

these chemicals into the marine environment may present risks to marine life and human health.

The NPS is conducting a survey for the presence of microplastics in 36 ocean and Great Lakes

units of the National Park System in collaboration with the NOAA Marine Debris Program and 

Clemson University. The purpose of this sampling project is to gain information on the potential 

presence of microplastics on park beaches, and to further assess potential regional sources and 

distribution of microplastics where parks are located. A similar survey of coastal beaches in 

Southeast Region parks indicated relatively elevated levels of microplastics in Savannah River 

estuary sediment at Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia. As a result, NPS is conducting a 

study of the transport and effects of these microplastics on the oyster reefs in the Monument 

area.

Wildlife Mortality and Debris Entanglements

The Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) surveys and monitors beached carcasses to 

maintain baseline information about seabird and marine mammal mortality, and to determine 

whether the mortalities resulted from natural or anthropogenic events, including marine debris 

entanglement. Entanglement in fishing gear and human trash, such as plastic bags and six-pack 

rings, has been documented as a cause of death for some marine fauna, and is also monitored for 

frequency of occurrence within RNSP. Beached carcass data is collected in other areas of 

Humboldt and Del Norte counties outside of RNSP and on much of the coasts of Oregon and 

Washington by the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) and along Marin 

county beaches by groups working with the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary 

(Coast Watch). NPS Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network staff also collects 

marine debris/animal carcass data on specific beaches in southwest Alaska parks.

 9 See Cole, C.A. and Kliwinski, S. 1998. Final Report of the National Park Marine Debris Monitoring Program.

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.; See also, J. Miller, and Jones, E. Shoreline Trash – Studies at 

Padre Island National Seashore, 1989-1998, 2003. University of Arizona. 
24

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Guidance

NPS developed a guidance document, Japan Tsunami Marine Debris Response (JTMD) Policies 

and Procedures, for use by park staff and visitors in recognizing potential JTMD and avoiding 

potential hazardous debris. The document directs visitors, volunteers and debris responders on 

safety protocols, following park procedures, avoiding resource damage, and identifying and 

reporting debris. The Hazardous Marine Debris Handbook and JTMD Biofouling Reponses

Protocols are incorporated into the guidance document.

Technology Development

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies should partner with state, local, tribal, and non-governmental entities to 

encourage the development of specific technologies that could prevent or reduce the 

amount of debris entering the marine environment or that could mitigate the impacts of 

marine debris on navigation, human health and safety, the economy, habitats, and 

species.

 Federal agencies should support research, technology development, and use of materials 

that will not persist in the marine environment.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

In 2014 and 2015, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, through the Fishing for Energy 

partnership, funded work to develop innovative gear technologies and modifications to prevent 

the loss of fishing traps and to prevent traps from continuing to catch – or ghostfish – if they are 

lost. For a more in-depth description of the Marine Debris Program’s fishing gear technology 

development, see Section 5.5.

Following the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the NOAA Marine Debris 

Program partnered with state and local agencies, academia, and NGOs to develop an approach 

for detecting the Japan tsunami marine debris. The detection approach incorporated satellite 

detection, sensors ranging from digital cameras to synthetic aperture radar (SAR), sensor 

platforms including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and numerous analysis and modeling 

techniques including hindcast computer models. These detection activities are summarized in a 

report released by the NOAA Marine Debris Program in January 2015, “Detecting Japan 

Tsunami Marine Debris at Sea: A synthesis of Efforts and Lessons Learned.” For additional 

information on the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s activities, including detection and 

monitoring, following the Japan tsunami, see Section 5.4.

Environmental Protection Agency

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy invited thought 

leaders from the private sector to join her on September 30th for a dialogue regarding national 

actions to achieve trash free waters in the United States. With Deputy Administrator Stan 

Meiburg moderating, the participants discussed three topic areas: (1) essential technology 

breakthroughs related to plastics; (2) strategies to change public behaviors with regard to littering 

and trash disposal; and (3) proactive business programs to keep trash out of waterways.
25

Many creative ideas were shared during the two hour discussion. Among them was a possible 

“breakthrough technology” challenge, a nationwide anti-litter campaign tied to product branding, 

corporate partnerships to keep trash out of selected urban watersheds, and exploration of how to 

better identify market value in recycled materials. EPA will share these ideas with a broader 

audience and work with interested stakeholders to develop strategies for putting some of these 

groundbreaking proposals into practice.

Fostering Coordination

2008 Report Recommendations

 Federal agencies should help sponsor and participate in workshops, conferences, and 

lectures that address issues related to marine debris and sources of marine debris to 

encourage the exchange of information that can inform the development of guidelines 

and implementation of actions to mitigate marine debris impacts.

 Federal agencies should participate in ongoing international activities to mitigate the 

impacts and reduce the amount of marine debris. Federal agencies also should support 

efforts to increase the awareness of such international marine debris efforts and 

encourage participation of other nations and international organizations in those efforts, 

as well as consider options for new international activities and initiatives to mitigate the 

impacts and reduce the amount of marine debris.

 The IMDCC should serve as a central point for coordination of federal efforts to develop 

new policies, strengthen existing policies, identify new research topics or projects, and 

address requests from Congress for specific information or actions related to marine 

debris.

 Federal agencies should pursue partnerships, as appropriate, with non-governmental 

entities to develop, promote, and implement strategies for preventing, reducing, or 

mitigating the impacts of marine debris.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Marine litter was a focus topic under the German G-7 Presidency and NOAA served as a U.S. 

representative at three workshops to develop concrete actions to address marine debris and 

identify financing for these actions. Marine litter will continue as a priority under the 2016 Japan 

G-7 Presidency and NOAA will continue to be engaged.

The Director of the NOAA Marine Debris Program is currently serving as the chair of the Global 

Partnership on Marine Litter (GPML), an initiative led by the United Nations Environment 

Programme (UNEP) that seeks to protect human health and the global environment by reducing 

and managing marine litter. The GPML is voluntary and open to international agencies, 

governments, business, academia, local authorities, non-governmental organizations, and 

individuals. It serves as a coordinating forum for global activities addressing three overarching 

goals which are based on the goals in the Honolulu Strategy. The GPML also focuses on 

capacity building, information collection and sharing, financing, policies, and technologies.
26

Marine debris is an issue that varies greatly by region. As a result, a crucial role of the Marine 

Debris Program is coordination with regional coastal managers, non-profits, and other groups 

interested in addressing marine debris. As part of this role, the NOAA Marine Debris Program

coordinated throughout 2014 and 2015 on efforts to develop state emergency response plans for 

Alabama and Florida as well as to develop, enhance, and implement state action plans in Hawaii,

Florida, and Virginia and regional plans in the Mid-Atlantic, the Gulf of Maine, the Great Lakes,

the Southeast, and for the West Coast. 

Environmental Protection Agency

The EPA Trash Free Waters program is inherently collaborative, forging relationships among all 

relevant and interested programs (federal, state, local, public & private sector, businesses, NGOs, 

etc.). TFW program activities support trash prevention and reduction efforts by many public and 

private stakeholders. Given the land-based origins of the aquatic trash problem, the program has 

a strong emphasis on helping states, municipalities, and businesses work together to explore 

more effective ways to reduce litter, block trash entry into water, and reduce packaging waste.

Over the last couple of years, the program has initiated stakeholder dialogue and consensus 

processes for several regional strategies with projects in coastal areas of the United States 

including the Mid-Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, New York/New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and California 

and the Pacific Islands.

In January, 2015, EPA’s Region 9 office hosted a Marine Debris Action Plan Workshop together 

with Guam EPA and a number of other Guam and federal agencies. The workshop utilized a 

geographically driven, priority based approach to develop the action plan. In attendance were 

Guam EPA, Bureau of Statistics, Department of Agriculture, Guam Power Authority (GPA), the 

Harbor Master, industry representatives, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and NOAA. Guam's 

priorities and strategies for marine debris prevention and response were presented and discussed.

Discussions and action items focused on Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) 

permitting and emerging zero trash to waterways, outreach and education strategies and 

initiatives, and response to abandoned and derelict vessels. Future workshops are planned for 

Saipan, and potentially American Samoa.

The EPA, as a member of U.S. delegations for a number international conventions and efforts, is 

active in the preparation for and participation in the G7 Foreign Affairs Sous-Sherpa Meetings 

and Workshops addressing Marine Litter and the London Dumping Convention (an issue area 

includes miocroplastics in dredged material) to mention a couple.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The USFWS continues to partner with NOAA to remove marine debris from the 

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Each year, many tons of debris are removed 

through this collaboration.

National Park Service

As noted above, the superlative recreational and scenic values of National Parks galvanize a 

wide range of volunteers and partner organizations to restore park beaches in coordination with 

NPS, occasionally under unique circumstances. For example, Oracle Team U.S.A. participated in 

a beach cleanup at Point Reyes National Seashore, California, after parts of Oracle Team
27

U.S.A.’s damaged AC72 racing yacht broke up and washed ashore. The cleanup focused on 

removing boat debris, plastic remnants and trash in advance of winter storms at Limantour 

Beach, in an area that borders on critical habitat for endangered leatherback sea turtles. Members 

of Oracle Team U.S.A. joined the Turtle Island Restoration Network, youth from Conservation 

Corps North Bay, and the America’s Cup Healthy Ocean Project. Submerged derelict fishing 

gear presents hazards to recreational boaters and entraps fish while damaging benthic habitats. In 

2015, NPS staff detected an abandoned pound net in 41 feet of water while mapping the bottom 

of Lake Superior around the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Park staff notified the 

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, who then worked with local commercial fishermen 

to locate and remove the net. Biscayne National Park, Florida removes significant amounts of 

derelict fishing gear from coral reefs and other habitats every year.

Department of State

Secretary Kerry held the first Our Ocean Conference in Washington, DC in June 2014, calling 

attention to specific focus areas including marine pollution, and making the protection of the 

ocean a foreign policy priority. The meeting gathered government representatives from around 

the world, drawing global attention to ocean issues. It resulted in an action plan outlining

ambitious targets for combating marine pollution; in particular, a target to “significantly reduce” 

input of debris so as to measurably reduce marine litter by 2025. During the 2014 conference, 

Chile’s Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz offered to hold the 2015 Our Ocean conference. The 

State Department worked extensively with the U.S. Government interagency, academia, NGOs 

and the private sector in 2014 and 2015 in planning the announcements of further commitments 

at the 2015 Conference, which took place in Valparaiso, Chile from October 5-6. There were 

over 80 announcements of new commitments and projects, thirteen of which pertain to marine 

debris. These included commitments made by foreign governments.

The United States and China announced a partnership between the coastal cities of Xiamen and 

Weihai in China and San Francisco and New York, committing to share best practices related to 

waste management to reduce the flow of trash into the water. Announcements also included the 

support of waste-to-energy projects in APEC economies. 

A third Our Ocean Conference will be held in Washington, DC in September 2016 to review 

progress of prior commitments on marine debris and announce new commitments for 2016. The 

EU will host a fourth Our Ocean Conference in 2017.

Beyond the Our Ocean Conference, the State Department has been actively highlighting the 

problem of marine litter at events around the world. State Department staff were instrumental in 

helping to shape the 2015 G7 Leaders’ outcome, which included a declaration on combating 

marine litter in the June 2015 Leaders’ Statement/Communique. At the U.S.-China Strategic and 

Economic Dialogue (S&ED) in June 2015, the United States and China attended a special 

session on the ocean that underscored both countries’ intentions to preserve and protect the ocean 

environment.
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4.0 NOAA Summary of Marine Debris Inventory

In June 2013, the NOAA Marine Debris Program launched the Marine Debris Clearinghouse, an 

online database that serves as the Federal Government’s information hub for marine debris 

stakeholders. This resource benefits the nation’s coastal managers, researchers, and communities 

as they work to study and mitigate marine debris and its impacts.

The site, developed in partnership with NOAA’s Coastal Data Development Center, provides 

users access to information on ongoing and historical marine debris projects related to removal, 

research, and outreach. The site’s sophisticated search function allows users to query specific 

project data, such as date and description, location, and marine debris type. 

The MDP is continuing to develop the Clearinghouse, working with the development team to 

scope new designs and features. Chief among these will be the resource library, a hub that will 

allow access to regional action and response plans, technical documents, and “topic papers.” 

These papers, which were developed in partnership with the NOAA National Centers for Coastal 

Ocean Science, synthesize the state of knowledge for specific subject areas within the overall 

topic of marine debris. Looking to the future, the MDP will be working with partners to assess 

additional updates and design changes to the clearinghouse that will take advantage of new 

technologies and techniques for information display, discovery and access. 
29

5.0 Review of the NOAA Marine Debris Program 

5.1 Program Administration and Structure

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is the federal lead on efforts to research, prevent, and reduce 

the impacts of marine debris. The program spearheads research efforts and provides competitive 

funding opportunities for community-based marine debris removal projects and prevention 

through education and outreach projects. The MDP has staff located around the country to lead a 

regional approach to addressing marine debris through partnerships with state and local agencies, 

tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry in the regions. 

The MDP was originally authorized by Congress in 2006 through the Marine Debris Research, 

Prevention, and Reduction Act. In 2012, Congress amended this legislation to become the 

Marine Debris Act and to reauthorize the MDP. Under the amended Marine Debris Act, the 

program’s mandates to lead national and regional coordination and to research, prevent, reduce, 

and remove marine debris remained, and a new mandate to address severe marine debris events

was added. The new mandate recognized the growing need to address the unusual amounts and 

types of marine debris following events such as tsunamis or hurricanes and NOAA’s critical role

in responding to these events. These mandates are the foundation for the five pillars of the 

program which are prevention, removal, emergency response, research and regional 

coordination.

In 2014 and 2015, the MDP continued to support activities across the country in each of the five 

program pillars and to address the adverse impacts of marine debris on the marine environment, 

navigational safety, human health, and the United States economy. In addition to addressing 

marine debris on a national scale, the MDP has assumed a leading role in the global effort to 

address marine debris following the Fifth International Marine Debris Conference in 2011 and 

the creation of the Honolulu Strategy as a framework for a comprehensive and global effort to 

address marine debris.

5.2 Prevention through Education and Outreach

Marine debris prevention activities are a crucial aspect of the MDP. The program has developed

a robust education and outreach initiative to educate the public about the causes and impacts of 

marine debris and to motivate attitude and behavior changes which result in the prevention and 

reduction of marine debris. The MDP conducts education and outreach directly with the public 

and through partners supported by either the program’s Prevention through Education and 

Outreach grants or the Fishing for Energy program.

The MDP conducts direct education and outreach all across the country. The program has staff in 

nine coastal regions that participate in school education programs, lead teacher workshops, 

conduct outreach at regional events, and engage with local stakeholders. The MDP has an annual 

art contest for K-8th grade students. Each year about 600 drawings are submitted and 13 

drawings are selected to be highlighted in the annual MDP calendar. The program has also 

installed educational displays at National Marine Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Research 

Reserves around the country. For a list of all of the displays and their locations see Table 4. 
30

In addition to regional education and outreach efforts, the program has an extensive digital 

communications strategy. The program provides original content through its website, blog, 

monthly e-newsletter, and social media platforms which include Facebook and Twitter. In 2014 

and 2015 the program developed several unique tools, including a six part educational video 

series called Trash Talk (http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/discover-issue/trash-talk), and a central 

source for information regarding abandoned and derelict vessels called the ADV InfoHub.

The MDP annually supports partnership projects through its Prevention through Education and 

Outreach funding opportunity. The intent of these partnerships is to educate new audiences about 

marine debris and to encourage behavior change through hands-on participation (e.g. small-scale 

shoreline cleanups). In FY2014, the MDP provided $500,000 in grants to 10 projects ranging 

from education for fishers to social marketing and awareness campaigns. In FY 2015, the 

program provided $675,370 in grants to fund 13 projects to raise awareness about marine debris 

and stop it at the source. For a complete list of Prevention through Education and Outreach

projects awarded in FY2014 and FY2015, please see Table 3.

The MDP also supports prevention projects through Fishing for Energy, a nation-wide 

partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Covanta Energy, and Schnitzer Steel 

that provides fishermen no-cost opportunities to dispose of unwanted gear. Since launching in 

2008, Fishing for Energy has processed more than 2.5 million pounds of old fishing gear from 41

ports across the Nation, a portion of which has been retrieved directly from the ocean by 

fishermen. In addition, the Fishing for Energy partnership supports approximately five grant 

projects each year, several of which are prevention projects to educate fishermen and boaters 

about the impacts of derelict fishing gear and ways to reduce gear loss.

5.3 Removal

While prevention is essential to stemming the input of new debris into the ocean, removal is 

necessary to diminish the impacts of debris already introduced into the ocean. Each year, the 

MDP supports locally driven, community-based marine debris removal projects. The program 

also provides support to the annual International Coastal Cleanup.

Through the community-based Marine Debris Removal Grants, the MDP has funded over 100 

removal projects and has removed over 4,800 metric tons of marine debris from the ocean. In 

2014 and 2015, the program provided nearly $4 million to support twenty-three groups in 18

coastal states and U.S. territories on projects ranging from community cleanups in Puerto Rico to

crab trap recovery in California to removing an abandoned barge in Lake Erie. For a complete 

list of projects awarded in FY2014 and FY2015, please see Table 5.

The MDP contributes funding support for the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal 

Cleanup, the largest, single-day volunteer cleanup event. In September 2014, 561,895 volunteers 

cleaned up over 13,000 miles of coastline in 91 countries, picking up more than 16 million 

pounds of trash. The most commonly-found items include those that we use every day such as

cigarette butts, food wrappers, beverage containers, and plastic bags. Ocean Conservancy is in 

the process of counting results from the 2015 International Coastal Cleanup. 
31

As part of an ongoing effort since 1996, trained NOAA divers with the NOAA Pacific Islands 

Fisheries Science Center’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division remove derelict nets and gear each 

year from the coral reefs and coastlines in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. In 2014 and 2015, 

the effort, funded in part by the MDP, removed nearly 60 metric tons of nets, plastics, and other 

marine debris from the shoreline and nearshore reefs.

5.4 Emergency response to severe marine debris events

Marine debris is an everyday problem, but natural disasters have the potential to make it worse.

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunamis, floods, and landslides can 

introduce immense quantities of debris into the marine environment including large debris items 

such as furniture, appliances, and even entire homes. During 2014 and 2015 there were no 

natural disasters which caused extreme marine debris events in the United States. However, 

during this time the MDP continued to address the long lasting impacts of the Japan Tsunami of 

2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In addition, the MDP began working with coastal states to 

develop emergency response plans to help local and state officials, along with federal partners, 

respond to extreme marine debris events due to natural disasters and other man-made incidents.

Japan Tsunami Marine Debris

On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 shook Japan, triggering a 

tsunami with waves up to 130 feet that inundated over 200 miles of land causing a staggering 

loss of human life and property. In the wake of the tsunami, debris from the inundation zone 

washed out into the ocean and, while some of the debris sank, much of the debris made its way 

across the ocean to the U.S. coasts. In the years following the tsunami, the MDP conducted 

activities to respond to the Japan tsunami marine debris including detection, modeling, 

establishing a debris sightings database, shoreline monitoring, and removal.

Following the tsunami, Japan provided $5 million to the United States with the intent to support 

marine debris response efforts, such as removal of debris, disposal fees, cleanup supplies, 

detection and monitoring. The MDP is responsible for administering this fund and has distributed 

much of the fund to the affected states (Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Hawaii).

The MDP still holds a small balance of this fund in reserve to respond should additional JTMD 

come ashore in the United States, such as the two remaining unaccounted for docks. 

The JTMD detection and monitoring efforts were synthesized into a report, “Detecting Japan

Tsunami Marine Debris at Sea: A Synthesis of Efforts and Lessons Learned,” released January 

2015. Following the tsunami, the marine debris community determined that assessments of the 

quantity, location, and movement the JTMD was needed to better anticipate and prepare for 

potential impacts on marine and coastal resources and communities. The community – which 

included U.S. federal, state, and local agencies as well as academia and NGOs – utilized 

opportunistic, satellite, aerial, shoreline monitoring, and remote sensing detection methods paired 

with modeling efforts to locate and identify marine debris. Results of these detection activities 

focused on JTMD have advanced the state of knowledge on debris detection, modeling, and 

monitoring, for both chronic marine debris and for responses to extreme marine debris events.
32

Post-Sandy Response

During the 2012 hurricane season, Sandy inflicted severe damage to communities and coastal 

resources over large areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states, leaving a swath of 

destruction and large amounts of debris in the waters and marshes of affected states. The debris 

posed as a hazard to navigation, commercial fishing grounds, and sensitive ecosystems.

After the initial emergency response, the NOAA MDP lead the federal, state, and local efforts in 

impacted states to determine needs, coordinate debris response activities, and begin initial 

assessments. In response to the extreme debris event, Congress provided the program with an 

additional $4.75 million through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 to locate and 

remove Sandy-generated marine debris. 

To address Sandy-generated debris, the MDP worked with partners to develop a model of debris 

accumulation, analyzed sonar and LiDAR survey data to find submerged debris and conducted

aerial, underwater, and shoreline surveys to assess the quantity and location of marine debris in 

the impacted coastal areas. The MDP then provided funding to local partners in the affected 

states (CT, DE, NJ, NY, and RI) to remove priority debris. 

Emergency Response Plans

In 2012, following the back-to-back JTMD and Sandy debris events the MDP was reauthorized

through the Marine Debris Act and the responsibility of the program was expanded to include 

response to emergency marine debris events.10 The program has been proactive in addressing 

marine debris emergency response by working with coastal states to develop emergency 

response plans.

Alabama is the first state to finalize a marine debris emergency response plan, releasing the 

“Alabama Incident Waterway Debris Response Comprehensive Plan” in May 2015 and is 

available on the MDP website. The plan outlines existing response structures at the local, state, 

and federal levels to facilitate a coordinated, well-managed, and immediate response to potential 

waterway debris incidents impacting coastal areas in Alabama. The plan will help improve 

preparedness for response and recovery operations following an acute waterway debris release 

incident in coastal Alabama. 

Other states are in the process of developing similar plans. Florida is expected to finalize their 

response plan in the near future and the North Carolina plan is underway.

5.5 Research

The Marine Debris Program has developed a research strategy to guide holistic, efficient, and 

impactful research projects through 2016. The program funded several research projects in 

FY2014 and FY2015 that focus on better understanding microplastics, the impacts of derelict 

fishing gear (DFG), and analyzing marine debris metadata. For a full list of MDP funded 

research projects, please see Table 6. 

 10 33 U.S.C. § 1951 et seq., as amended by Title VI of Pub. L. No. 112-213.
33

Microplastics – Quantification of Occurrence and Accumulation

In 2014 and 2015, the MDP expanded upon previously funded research projects as well as 

funded several new projects to learn more about the distribution and accumulation rates of 

microplastics in different areas throughout the U.S.

The Marine Debris Program has previously funded research exploring how microplastics interact 

with chemicals in the marine environment, how they are impacted by physical variables such as 

temperature and pH, and how ingestion of these microplastics may impact marine species. In 

2014 and 2015, research efforts further examined the issue of microplastic ingestion looking into 

the frequency of ingestion of plastics in marine environments such as the Sargasso Sea.

Derelict fishing gear – Impacts, Detection, Loss Prevention, and New Technologies

In 2014 and 2015, the MDP supported research to investigate the physical, biological, and socioeconomic impacts of derelict fishing gear in the Chesapeake Bay. The study is conducting a 

regional DFG impact assessment and developing a framework with technical recommendations 

and best practices for implementing similar DFG assessments in other regions of the U.S. The 

results of this study will be available in late 2016.

The MDP supports research to address derelict fishing gear through the Fishing for Energy

partnership. Each year Fishing for Energy supports approximately five projects, several of which 

are research projects to better understand the impacts of derelict fishing gear and ways to prevent 

gear losses as well as environmental impacts. Projects funded in FY14 and FY15 included 

studies to test crab pot biopanels to reduce bycatch in lost pots, side-scan sonar surveys to 

determine derelict lobster pot densities in Cape Cod, developing and evaluating crab pot 

disabling and recovery technologies, and determining escapement rates from five different crab 

pot designs and modifications to improve escapement rates from derelict pots. 

Marine Debris Metadata Analysis 

The NOAA Marine Debris Program began working with the Ocean Conservancy to analyze 30 

years of data on marine debris collected by the annual International Coastal Cleanup and the 

NOAA marine debris data set. The analysis is modelled after an assessment done by the 

Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization which analyzed data 

from coastal Australia. This study will assess the data to identify patterns and processes that 

influence marine debris in the United States and will be used to improve data collection 

protocols. The results of this metadata analysis will be available in 2017.

Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project

The MDP initiated the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MD-MAP) following 

the 2011 Japan tsunami to monitor and assess shoreline sites in regions impacted by the Japan 

tsunami marine debris. In 2013, the program published standardized techniques for assessing 

debris on shorelines, on water surfaces, at-sea, and in benthic environments. Since it was created, 

the MD-MAP has expanded to include 178 sites in eight states (AK, WA, OR, CA, HI, DE, MD, 

and VA) as well as British Columbia and Costa Rica. The project has recorded over 3800 

surveys and over 163,800 individual items.
34

Through the project, the MDP collects baseline data which is used to identify targets for 

mitigation, evaluate the effectiveness of marine debris prevention efforts, and determine marine 

debris impacts on the marine environment. Survey data and photos are placed in an online 

database to facilitate data analysis and regional comparisons of debris types, abundances, and 

trends. Moving forward, the MDP is developing an expanded online toolbox to house useful 

tools for MD-MAP partners including a photo ID manual, a database user guide, data analysis 

templates, informational videos, and FAQs.

5.6 Regional coordination 

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is the federal lead in addressing the national problem of 

marine debris; however the types and impacts of marine debris vary largely by region. As a 

result, the program has a strong regional coordination component to work with local 

communities to address their region specific marine debris issues. The MDP has ten Regional 

Coordinators working in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California, Hawaii and the Pacific 

Islands, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Mid-Atlantic the Northeast, the Southeast, and 

the Great Lakes. These coordinators provide technical expertise to partners in their region on 

marine debris projects, assess regional needs, work with state and local agencies to implement 

prevention strategies, and act as a hub of information for coastal managers, non-profits, and other 

groups interested in addressing marine debris.

Action Plans and Planning Workshops

In 2014 and 2015, the MDP Regional Coordinators worked with partners in several regions and 

states to initiate and continue the development of regional action plans to address marine debris. 

These action plans focus on long-term solutions to the causes and impacts of marine debris in the 

regions as well as outline operational best practices and data collection protocols. The purpose of 

these plans is to aid states in preventing and reducing debris, as well as mitigating coastal 

impacts.

Great Lakes

In May 2014, “The Great Lakes Land-based Marine Debris Action Plan” was finalized, 

establishing a comprehensive framework for strategic action to ensure that the Great Lakes, its 

coasts, people, and wildlife are free from the impacts of marine debris. This five year plan, 

covering 2014-2019, was the result of several years of hard work and planning by stakeholders in 

the region. Each year, the partners produce an Action Summary Report detailing progress made 

on the 53 actions in the plan. The 2014 report was finalized in January 2015 and the 2015 report 

was finalized in January 2016, both the action plan and the summary reports are available on the 

MDP website. 

Hawaii

Hawaii developed the “Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan” (HI-MDAP) in 2010 as the result of 

a workshop which brought together government, academia, non-governmental organization, and 

private business stakeholders. The plan was created to establish a comprehensive framework for 

strategic action to reduce the ecological, health, and safety, and economic impacts of marine 

debris in Hawaii. The HI-MDAP was update following a second stakeholder workshop in 2012. 

In July 2014 a third workshop was held to review accomplishments in implementation of the 
35

plan as well as to discuss gaps and identify priority actions for the future. The two iterations of 

the plan as well as the proceedings from the 2014 workshop are available on the MDP website.

Florida

During 2014 and 2015, the MDP held two workshops in Florida to bring together stakeholders to 

begin the process of developing a statewide marine debris reduction plan. A draft plan is under 

review by state partners and the plan is expected to be finalized in 2016.

Virginia

Between 2012 and 2014 representatives from academia, non-governmental organizations, 

businesses, and federal, state, and local agencies worked together to develop the “Virginia 

Marine Debris Reduction Plan” (VMDRP), this was finalized in October 2014. The plan outlines

near-term (two years), mid-term (two to five years), and long-term (up to 10 years) actions under 

five goals – leadership, prevention, interception, innovation, and removal – to address marine 

debris on a statewide basis. The VMDRP is available on the MDP website.

Mid-Atlantic

The MDP led a workshop for stakeholders in the Mid-Atlantic region (NJ, DE, MD, DC, and 

VA) in June 2015 to initiate the planning process for the development of a regional marine debris 

reduction plan.

Gulf of Maine

The MDP led a workshop for stakeholders in the Gulf of Maine region (MA, NH, ME, and 

Canadian representatives) in November 2015 to initiate the planning process for the development 

of a regional marine debris reduction plan.

Southeast

The MDP led a workshop for stakeholders in the Southeast region (NC, SC, and GA) in 2014 to 

initiate the planning process for the development of a regional marine debris reduction plan. A 

second planning workshop was held in January 2016 to continuing building on key objectives 

and strategies that address consumer debris, derelict fishing gear, wildlife entanglement, and 

abandoned and derelict vessels. A third workshop will be held in the winter/spring of 2017, and 

the reduction plan is expected to be finalized in 2017.

West Coast

In October 2013, the West Coast Governor’s Alliance (WCGA) Marine Debris Action 

Coordination Team released the “West Coast Marine Debris Strategy.” The MDP worked 

closely with the WCGA in the development of the strategy, which aims to address marine debris 

across the West Coast through a regional framework to identify, assess, prevent, and reduce 

marine debris. In response to the finalization of the strategy, the WCGA created the West Coast 

Marine Debris Alliance to facilitate the implementation of the strategy. The MDP has partnered 

with the West Coast Marine Debris Alliance and will work closely with it to implement the 

strategy.
36

Alaska

The MDP will be leading a workshop for stakeholders in Alaska during the 2016 Alaska Forum 

on the Environment to begin discussions on developing a state marine debris action plan.
37

6.0 Review of U.S. Coast Guard programs

The USCG has continued to play an important role in the prevention and reduction of marine 

debris. Throughout the 2014-2015 reporting period, the USCG sustained its commitment to 

reducing ship-sourced marine debris through the enforcement of domestic and international laws. 

In keeping with its core mission of environmental stewardship, the USCG assisted its 

interagency partners in identifying and removing of marine debris under its authorities.

During the 2014-2015 reporting period, the USCG maintained its Certificate of Adequacy 

(COA) waste reception facilities program and continued its domestic and international outreach 

efforts with respect to the COA program. The USCG’s COA program encourages compliance 

with MARPOL regulations by ensuring adequate reception facilities for ship’s waste are 

available to all ships calling at U.S. ports or terminals.

The USCG continues to exercise its authorities to place a hold on vessels that pose a potential 

pollution risk, including pollution from ship generated waste streams which could contribute to 

marine debris.

During the 2014-2015 reporting period, the USCG continued to provide leadership at the IMO.

The work during the period included adoption of the Polar Code Amendments to MARPOL and 

the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Conventions. Initially, the IMO focused mainly on 

operational safety, navigational challenges, and mariner training requirements for ships operating 

in polar waters. As work progressed, the IMO included provisions for protecting the marine 

environment from pollution from ships. For example, in the Polar Code Amendments to 

MARPOL, the USCG articulated some of the unique challenges for the prevention and removal 

of marine debris in Polar Regions, and especially in the Arctic Ocean as increases in shipping 

activity are expected in coming decades. 

In 2014 and 2015 the USCG participated in seminars and presentations at the United Nations 

Environment Programme, The World Maritime University, the Organization of American States 

Committee on Ports, and at NGO and Industry organizations, providing information and 

guidance on USCG MARPOL implementation programs. 

The USCG staff continued its cooperation with international partners on marine environmental 

protection and continued to chair the International Organization for Standardization work group 

(ISO/TC8/SC2/WG4) on development of international standards for management and handling 

of ship’s waste. In 2014, the USCG proposed, and ISO accepted, the proposals to revise and 

update two international standards on management of shipboard garbage and operation of ship’s 

waste port reception facilities (PRF), which are two key areas for reducing and eliminating ship 

sourced marine debris. In 2015, the USCG proposed future work on operating standards for 

shipboard waste treatment equipment and for waste management standards for ships operating in 

Arctic waters.

The USCG continues to educate mariners and promote marine debris awareness among the 

public through its Sea Partners Campaign outreach program and in partnership with the North 
38

American Marine Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA). The USCG’s prevention 

efforts are an essential part of the Federal Government’s effort to combat the ongoing problem of 

marine debris. In 2014 and 2015, NAMEPA sponsored seminars in selected ports around the 

U.S., focusing on key issues involving MARPOL port reception facilities, new international and 

domestic implementing regulations, mariner training, and regulatory enforcement.

The USCG is addressing a particular area of concern for prevention of pollution from ships in 

Arctic waters. Working with the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment 

(PAME) Group as a member of the U.S. Delegation, the USCG has assumed a leadership role on 

managing the operational wastes from ships as all sectors of commercial shipping in the Arctic 

increases. The USCG presented a paper in 2015 at the World Maritime University in Malmo, SE, 

on the already existing problem of marine debris entrapped in Arctic ice and how marine debris 

is carried to the Arctic on deep Atlantic and Pacific currents.

6.1 Compliance and Enforcement

The USCG continues to administer a MARPOL compliance and enforcement program for ships 

and ensures the adequacy of waste reception facilities in U.S. ports and terminals and their 

ability to receive MARPOL Annex V wastes from ships. These efforts contribute to the 

reduction of ship-sourced pollution, which is responsible for a portion of the marine debris in the 

oceans.

Ship-Generated Garbage and Port Reception Facilities 

The USCG verifies that domestic waterfront facilities maintain the capability of receiving 

garbage and wastes from ships through its COA program. The USCG continues to monitor 

compliance through annual facility inspections and harbor and port spot checks. Criteria for 

determining the adequacy of garbage reception facilities and their compliance with MARPOL 

Annex V can be found in 33 C.F.R. §§ 158.400-420. In the CY 2014-2015 reporting period, the 

USCG conducted over 13,000 facility inspections each year.

The USCG also continues to monitor and gather information on MARPOL reception facilities, 

including information relating to inspections, investigations, and pollution incidents directly 

connected to MARPOL Annex V waste streams. In FY 2014, the USCG conducted 540 facility 

inspections related to MARPOL Annex V and issued or renewed 237 COAs. In 2015, the USCG 

conducted 585 facility inspections related to MARPOL Annex V and issued or renewed 276 

COAs. Currently, there are 1330 U.S. ports and terminals that have been inspected and issued a 

COA.

The USCG receives reports of inadequate reception facilities and can inspect to determine 

compliance with a COA. In addition, the USCG responds to the Flag State and provides 

information on reception facilities and any actions taken to ensure adequate reception facilities 

are available at U.S. ports and terminals. The USCG will publish updated guidance on MARPOL 

and reporting procedures to field units, ports and terminals, and ship operators in 2016 or early 

2017.
39

The USCG maintains a list of U.S. ports and terminals that have been issued reception facility 

COAs in compliance with APPS. This data is available to the public on the USCG Maritime 

Information Exchange (CGMIX) website (http://www.nrc.uscg.mil/MARPOL/Default.aspx). 

Ship-Generated Garbage: Shipboard Compliance and Enforcement

The USCG ensures foreign vessel compliance with U.S. regulations related to marine 

environmental protection primarily through Port State Control Examinations. The USCG also 

inspects U.S. commercial vessels annually. Inspectors may expand an examination if there are 

clear grounds for suspecting potential MARPOL violations. For recreational and commercial 

fishing vessels not required by law to be inspected, the USCG conducts boardings to determine 

compliance with domestic and international laws, including environmental laws. In 2014-2015,

the USCG conducted over 134,800 boardings.

6.2 Debris Removal

As previously reported, the USCG’s primary authority for the removal of abandoned and derelict 

vessels on or adjacent to the navigable waters of the United States pertains to the prevention and 

mitigation of pollution related incidents from discharges into the marine environment from oil or 

hazardous materials. The USCG’s authority for responding to these incidents falls mainly under 

the CWA, OPA, and CERCLA, with funding for oil pollution incidents authorized under OPA 

and funding for hazardous substance released authorized under CERCLA. Under each of these 

authorities, the USCG must determine that: (1) the vessels are discharging oil or releasing 

hazardous substances or pose a substantial threat of an oil discharge or a hazardous substance 

release, (2) the responsible party is not mitigating or removing the pollution threat as required by 

law, and (3) the removal of a vessel is the best option to mitigate the actual or threat of 

discharge. The USCG also has authority under the Abandoned Barge Act to remove abandoned 

barges under certain circumstances. USCG also has authority to remove an abandoned vessel 

when the vessel remains a possible source for continued discharge of oil or hazardous material or 

when the vessel is a hazard to navigation.

In cases where vessels do not pose a pollution threat, local USCG units may coordinate with the 

USACE, NOAA, and state and local program managers to resolve and mitigate the incident.

These often involve cases where vessels pose a threat to navigation, obstruct a navigable 

channel, or endanger protected or sensitive habitat. State authority is typically acted upon when 

neither USCG nor USACE has authority, for example, when a vessel is not located in a 

navigable waterway, does not pose a pollution threat, or is a barge less than 100 gross tons.

Examples of Marine Debris Removal Actions by the USCG in 2014 - 2015

In the last report, USCG District 8 and local USCG units in Mobile, AL reported on a project to 

identify derelict vessels and barges in the US Gulf of Mexico and initiate action for removals. 

USCG Sector Mobile, AL has initiated a project to review over 700 potential derelict vessels that 

were identified in the Sector Command Center derelict vessel log. Since 2014, Sector Mobile has 

conducted on-site verification of the 200 pollution threats listed above and has worked to remove 

pollution threats as authorized. The current list of derelict vessels remains at over 700, but the 

number remaining as potential pollution threats has been reduced to 15.
40

Similarly, in 2015, USCG Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) Panama City, FL identified and 

worked to remove all derelict vessels and large marine debris that are a threat to the environment 

from Navarre, FL to Carrabelle, FL. This has been accomplished through the use of the incident 

command system incident action plans detailing each agencies involvement. This was 

accomplished by utilizing each agencies authorities and jurisdictions to remove abandoned and 

derelict vessels taking advantage of each agencies role and authority in marine debris removal. 

The use of non-governmental agencies, college programs and environmental organizations has 

resulted in obtaining funding and resources that was previously not available. As of now, there 

have been seven vessels located and removed based on this program and over one thousand 

gallons of oil has been recovered from these vessels during this project. In addition, the local 

colleges and non-governmental organizations have donated their time and volunteers to use 

aerial drones in a pilot program as a resource to identify derelict vessels, oil spills and marine 

debris remotely. In addition, an oil spill response company has donated an oil absorbent boom 

that can be used multiple times, allowing the organizations to reduce the cost of oil spill cleanup 

and salvage operations. The USCG MSD Panama City is continuing to work with local officials, 

colleges, and non-governmental agencies to encourage these initiatives that will hopefully 

remove all marine debris and derelict vessels. Work will continue on this initiative in North 

Florida through 2016.

Coast Guard Coordination with Federal, State, and Local Partners

As previously reported, the USCG has continued its work on marine debris removals with its 

federal, state, and local partners throughout the 2014-2015 reporting period. The USCG consults 

at the federal level using funding authorities granted by OPA-90 (Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund) 

and CERCLA to initiate response actions designed to fully mitigate the pollution threat and 

works with its federal, state and local partners on identifying and removal of marine debris using 

private contractors. 

USCG PACAREA Actions Related to Japan Tsunami Marine Debris 

While the JTMD response wound down considerably in the past two years, local USCG units on 

the West Coast responded to reportable instances of suspected JTMD, especially when large 

debris such as derelict F/Vs, docks, and small craft have turned up in the eastern Pacific and 

around Hawaii and in Southeast Alaska.

Interagency Work in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

USCG District 14 and local USCG units in the Pacific Islands continued to work with federal, 

state, and local partners throughout the 2014-2015 reporting period to monitor marine debris in 

the Pacific in the waters surrounding the State of Hawaii and at U.S. Territories in the Pacific 

especially in sensitive marine areas such as Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument 

(PMNM) where the USCG continue to work closely with federal, state, and local partners while 

engaged in dedicated law enforcement missions. 

6.3 International Activities

The IMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for measures to 

improve the safety and security of international shipping and to prevent marine pollution from 

ships. Its decisions form the basis of member-state marine pollution enforcement regimes, 
41

including port state inspections, self-reporting, and record-keeping. As head of the U.S. IMO 

delegation, the USCG works to advance a number of key environmental interests at meetings of 

the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee.

The amendments to MARPOL Annex V came into force on January 1, 2013, and with limited 

exceptions, prohibit the discharge of all garbage from ships into the sea. The USCG has 

implemented the amendments to MARPOL Annex V through its regulations applicable to all 

ships operating in U.S. waters and all U.S. Flag ships operating anywhere on international 

voyages. While it is too early to gauge the effects of new regulations, the USCG continues to 

focus on enforcement and prevention programs. Additionally the USCG continues it working 

closely with industry to ensure environmentally sound management of wastes aboard ships. The 

USCG, through its Certificate of Adequacy program, ensures that US ports and terminals provide 

reception facilities that are consistent with U.S. obligations under MARPOL for discharge of all 

wastes from ships at U.S. ports and terminals. The USCG continues to actively participate in the 

development of the ISO standards for reception facilities and handling of ships’ waste.

6.4 Outreach

Sea Partners Campaign is the USCG’s environmental education and outreach program focused 

on developing community awareness of maritime pollution issues and improving compliance 

with marine environmental protection laws and regulations.

Sea Partners Campaign has educated hundreds of thousands of children on the stewardship of our 

oceans. In partnership with the USCG Auxiliary, the Sea Partners Campaign has been correlating 

marine debris, oil spill, and invasive species subject matter with national education standards. In 

addition to its educational outreach efforts, the Sea Partners Campaign continues its effort to 

reach out to the maritime industry. Through a proactive USCG presence at boat shows, 

distribution of MARPOL placards to merchant mariners, distribution of placards with antipollution messages to marinas and boating communities, outreach to marina owners and 

operators through the USCG Auxiliary.

The USCG is committed to reaching a wide variety of audiences. In 2014 and 2015, the USCG 

continued to work under the 2012 Memorandum of Agreement with NAMEPA to work together 

on outreach and education materials to industry and the boating public. In 2014 the USCG made 

presentations to industry at NAMEPA sponsored national events in Houston, Washington DC, 

Norfolk, and New York City focusing specifically on issues related to MARPOL, ship’s waste 

management, and reception facility issues. 

The USCG Auxiliary reports its vital operational hours for the Sea Partners Campaign in its 

reporting database, AUXDATA. Since 2014, over 6,000 hours were committed toward the Sea 

Partners Campaign programs which help disseminate outreach and education materials to the 

public boating community on MARPOL and marine debris prevention and cleanup.
42

7.0 Funding and Recommendations

Section 5(e)(5) of the Marine Debris Act requests an estimate of federal funds spent on marine 

debris activities, as well as an estimate of non-federal funding related to marine debris. The 

IMDCC has interpreted the requested non-federal funding to be the required non-federal match 

associated with the grants program outlined in Section 3(c)(2)(A) established under NOAA.

Consistent with the timeframe of this report, the federal agencies on the IMDCC provided the 

following information for fiscal years 2014 and 2015.

Table 1: FY2014 to FY2015 Agency Marine Debris Funding

* In order to display budget allocation by Mission-Program, USCG uses an activity-based cost model that averages 

past expenditures to forecast future spending. Discretionary budget authority for the Marine Environmental 

Protection (MEP) mission-program contributes in-part to marine debris activities in this table. MEP activities 

include enforcement of pollution protection regulations and marine pollution response, recovery and investigation.

Please note that several IMDCC agencies conduct activities within multiple programs, offices, 

and projects that are indirectly related to marine debris efforts. They do not receive funding 

specific to marine debris in their annual appropriations but instead receive funding by missions 

or programs. This complicates extracting the exact funding amount related to marine debris 

within these integrated actions. An example is that the Department of State may address marine 

debris issues through funded public diplomacy activities but does not directly fund activities 

specific to marine debris.

AGENCY FY2014 FY2014 

NonFederal 

Match

FY2015 FY2015 

NonFederal 

Match

General Activity 

Description

DOC/NOAA $6,000,000 $2,576,231 $6,000,000 $2,872,466 Research, removal, 

outreach and education, 

coordination, prevention, 

database development, 

partnerships, grants, and 

contracts.

DOD/Navy $3,662,000 $2,688,000 Improve existing, and 

examine new, solid waste 

equipment for ships.

DOI/BSEE $25,646 $25,643 Manage marine debris 

program, conduct 

inspections, and produce 

training materials. 

DHS/USCG $247,016,000 $228,133,000 See Section 6 for a 

comprehensive discussion 

of USCG activities.

EPA $297,000 $360,000 Trash Free Waters 

Program
43

Appendices

A. Overview of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee

B. Federal Authorities by Agency

C. NOAA Marine Debris Program-funded projects
44

Appendix A. Overview of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee 

Figure 1 shows the overall drivers for federal agencies to address marine debris and lists, in a 

concise format, the related activities and outputs of each agency that sits on the IMDCC. The 

IMDCC’s outcomes are also included.

Figure 1 Acronyms

AFCA Anadromous Fish Conservation Act

APPS Act to Prevention Pollution from Ships

CRCA Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000

CWA Clean Water Act

CZMA Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972

DAA Driftnet Act Amendments of 1990

EPAct Energy Policy Act of 2005

ESA Endangered Species Act of 1973

FCA Flood Control Act of 1954

MDRPRA Marine Debris Research, Prevention, and Reduction Act

MMPA Marine Mammal Protection Act

MPPRCA Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987

MPRSA Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act of 1972

MSRA Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act 

of 2006

NMSA National Marine Sanctuaries Act

NWRSA National Wildlife Refuge System Act of 1966

NWRSIA National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997

OCSLAA Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and Amendments

OPA Oil Pollution Act of 1990

PPA Pollution Prevention Act of 1990

RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

RHA Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899

SPA Shore Protection Act

USCG U.S. Coast Guard
45

ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

Increased 

understanding of 

sources, impacts, 

and mitigation 

effort related to 

marine debris

Improved public 

awareness of the 

marine debris 

impacts and 

actions that can 

and should be 

taken to reduce 

marine debris 

pollution

Decreased amount 

of material 

becoming marine 

debris

Stronger 

protection of 

marine 

environment from 

pollution and 

marine debris

Increased 

international 

coordination to 

manage marine 

debris

Cleaner oceans, 

coasts, and 

waterways

Statutory and 

Regulatory

Public Interest 

(e.g., news 

stories on Pacific 

Trash Gyre)

Concern for 

ecological, 

human health and 

safety, economic, 

and social 

impacts

Environmental Protection Agency

MPPRCA, MPRSA, SPA, CWA, RCRA, PPA 

Address land- and ocean-based sources through solid waste, stormwater, non-point 

source, and ocean regulations, voluntary programs, and outreach.

Department of Homeland Security - USCG

MPPRCA, APPS, DAA, SPA, MDRPRA, CERCLA, OPA, CWA, MSFCM

Compliance and enforcement for ship-generated garbage.

Department of State

MARPOL Annex V and other relevant international agreements. Assistance to other 

countries on controlling land-based sources of pollution and derelict fishing gear.

Department of Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

• Reports on cleanups

• ESA reports and mitigation action plans

• Reports on Refuge status and conditions

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

• Issuance/enforcement of pollution prevention and control regulations through 

warnings, fines, and facility/component shut-ins

• Site cleanup/removal or reefing of hurricane destroyed/end-of-life platforms 

• Industry structural design standards/recommended practices revisions, and 

incorporation of revisions into notices/regulations, to improve rig station keeping and 

ensure platform survivability during hurricanes

 

Environmental Protection Agency

• Publications (BMPs, factsheets, reports) for municipal, industrial, and general 

audiences on solid waste, stormwater, and marine debris

• Non-point source and marine debris prevention toolboxes

• Research on marine debris found on beaches and in ocean

Department of Commerce - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• Federal Information Clearinghouse

• Research and assessment of marine debris impacts to living marine resources

• Topic-specific workshops for marine debris researchers and practitioners

• Nets to Energy and Fishing for Energy partnerships

• Over 150 grants and contracts since 2005

Department of the Interior

Fish and Wildlife Service

ESA, MMPA, DAA, NWRSA and NWRSIA, AFCA

Cleanup of shoreline/nearshore habitats. Impacts on fish/wildlife resources and 

habitats. Management of National Wildlife Refuge and National Monuments.

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

OCSLAA, OPA, EPAct

Address marine debris from regulated facilities and operations through regulations, 

compliance, enforcement, voluntary programs, and partnerships with the offshore 

industry.

Department of Justice

Judicial enforcement of environmental violation.

Department of State

• Annex V revisions

• Assistance to other countries on controlling land-based sources of pollution

Marine Mammal Commission

• Related research and management publications

• Recommendations to federal agencies on protecting/conserving marine mammals

• Distribution of information on biological impacts of marine debris

Department of Commerce – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

MDRPRA, MPPRCA, MSRA, CZMA, ESA, MMPA, DAA, NMSA, CRCA

Address marine debris through mapping, identification, impact assessment, removal 

and prevention, focusing on living marine resources and navigation. Reduce and 

prevent loss of fishing gear. Public outreach and education. 

Department of Defense 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

RHA, FCA

Obstructions in navigable waterways.

Navy

Compliance with APPS for solid waste management and disposal of plastics from 

vessels. Preparation of vessels used as artificial reefs in accordance with Nat’l BMPs.

Marine Mammal Commission 

MMPA

Research and recommendations on impacts to marine mammals.

ACTIVITIES Figure 1: Overview of the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee

Department of Justice

• Fines and other penalties for marine debris/garbage violations

Department of Defense 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Report on obstructions removed from navigable waterways

Navy

Department of Homeland Security – USCG

• Certification of adequacy for port and waterfront facilities

• Inspections aboard vessels to ensure compliance with ship-generated garbage 

regulations

• Detection and investigation of ship-generated garbage violations

• Annex V revisions

DRIVERS
46

Appendix B. Federal Authorities by Agency

Authorities listed are those that (1) explicitly mention marine debris in their authority; (2) 

address sources and items that may become marine debris (e.g., plastic, fishing gear, garbage); or

(3) address entities that may be impacted by marine debris. An “X” in the last column indicates 

that the legislation has a regulatory component.

Table 2: Federal Authorities by Agency

Authority

Explicitly 

mentions 

marine debris 

Addresses

sources and items 

that may become 

marine debris

Addresses entities 

that may be 

impacted by marine 

debris

Regulatory

Marine Debris Act, 33 U.S.C. 

1951 et seq. NOAA, USCG

Coral Reef Conservation Act 

of 2000, 16 U.S.C. 6406(b)(3) 

NOAA

Coastal Zone Management Act 

of 1972, 16 U.S.C. 1456b NOAA

Comprehensive Environmental 

Response, Compensation, and 

Liability Act (CERCLA) 42 

U.S.C. 9601, 9604, 9607

EPA, NOAA, 

USCG X

Driftnet Act Amendments of 

1990, 16 U.S.C. 1826 NOAA, USFWS, 

DOS X

Marine Protection, Research 

and Sanctuaries Act, 33 U.S.C. 

1401–1445 (Ocean Dumping 

Act) Title I & II

EPA, NOAA, 

USCG X

Shore Protection Act, 33 

U.S.C. 2603 EPA, USCG X

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C.

1321 EPA, USCG X

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 

1346(f), 1342, 1329 EPA EPA X

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

NOAA, USCG X

Resource Conservation and 

Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 6901 

et seq.

EPA

Pollution Prevention Act of 

1990, 42 U.S.C. 13101–13109 

et seq.

EPA

Act to Prevent Pollution from 

Ships (APPS), 33 U.S.C. 1901 

et seq. as amended by the 

Marine Plastic Pollution 

Research and Control Act

USCG X
47

Authority

Explicitly 

mentions 

marine debris 

Addresses

sources and items 

that may become 

marine debris

Addresses entities 

that may be 

impacted by marine 

debris

Regulatory

Rivers and Harbors Act of 

1899, 33 U.S.C. 407, 409, 414, 

415

USACE X

Amended Section 2 of the 

Flood Control Act of 1954, 

Sec. 208

USACE

An Act authorizing the 

construction, repair, and 

preservation of certain public 

works on rivers and harbors for 

navigation, and flood control, 

and for other purposes. 33 

U.S.C. 426m

USACE X

OCS Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 

1331 et seq. and Amendments 

43 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

BSEE X

Oil Pollution Act of 1990, 33 

U.S.C. 2701 et seq. and E.O. 

12777

BSEE, EPA X

Energy Policy Act of 2005, 42 

U.S.C. 15801 et seq. BSEE X

Microbead-Free Waters Act of 

2015, P.L. 114-114 FDA

National Marine Sanctuaries 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 1431 et seq. NOAA NOAA X

National Wildlife Refuge 

System Administration Act of 

1966 & National Wildlife 

Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997, 16 U.S.C. 668dd

USFWS

Anadromous Fish 

Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C.

757a et seq.

USFWS

Endangered Species Act of 

1973, 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. NOAA, USFWS X

Marine Mammal Protection 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 1402

NOAA, MMC, 

USFWS X
48

Appendix C. NOAA Marine Debris Funded Projects

Table 3: NOAA MDP-Funded Prevention through Education and Outreach Projects

Recipient Project Title Funding 

Year

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Project Cost

State

University of South Florida Clean Community Clean Coast 2014 $85,000 $170,000 Florida

Protectores de Cuencas, 

Inc.

"Think before you drop it": A Research based 

Litter Reduction Campaign in Nine Beaches of 

Guanica, Puerto Rico

2014 $68,640 $137,280 Puerto Rico

Alice Ferguson Foundation Reducing Marine Debris by Targeting Youth 

and Teenage Litterers

2014 $52,220 $106,340 Maryland, Virginia, 

and DC

Virginia Department of 

Environmental Quality

A Rising Concern: Reducing Balloon Release 

and Debris through a Social Marketing 

Campaign

2014 $50,000 $100,000 Virginia

Feiro Marine Life Center Education and Action: A One-Two Punch to 

Reduce Marine Debris on the Washington 

Coast

2014 $48,000 $96,000 Washington

Hawaii Wildlife Fund Hawaii Wildlife Fund's Marine Debris Keiki 

Education and Outreach Program

2014 $25,700 $51,441 Hawaii

Artula Institute for Arts 

and Environmental 

Education

Washed Ashore Marine Debris Prevention 

Teacher-Training Program

2014 $50,000 $100,081 Oregon

Santa Barbara Museum of 

Natural History

Marine Debris - The Ocean and Me 2014 $37,500 $75,011 California

Salem Sound Coastwatch Talking Trash for Clean Oceans 2014 $57,745 $117,771 Massachusetts

Wisconsin Sea Grant Using Outreach and Education to Reduce 

Fishing Net Loss and Marine Debris in Lake 

Superior

2014 $25,000 $25,000 Wisconsin

Malama Learning Center A'ole (No) Marine Debris -- Nature- and 

Culture-based Community Education in Coastal 

Communities

2015 $42,000 $99,260 Hawaii
49

Recipient Project Title Funding 

Year

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Project Cost

State

Clean Water Fund ReThink Disposable: Preventing Marine Debris 

at the Source

2015 $71,077 $198,621 California

Earth Team Zero Litter Project. An anti-litter outreach and 

educational program with public high school 

students in the San Francisco Bay Area

2015 $75,095 $151,771 California

The Northwest Straits 

Marine Foundation

Derelict Fishing Gear Prevention and Outreach 

in Puget Sound, Washington

2015 $47,873.29 $95,823 Washington

The National Aquarium Promoting Community Leadership to Prevent 

Marine Debris in Masonville Cove and 

Baltimore, MD

2015 $72,013.39 $148,862 Maryland

University of North 

Carolina, Wilmington

Traveling Through Trash: Coastal Migratory 

Animal Encounters with Marine Debris

2015 $29,614.76 $59,235 North Carolina

Gulf of Maine Lobster 

Foundation

Tracking Marine Debris Transport: An 

Education and Outreach Project to Enhance 

Stewardship and Prevention Behaviors in the 

Gulf of Maine

2015 $65,730 $148,535 Maine

Rutgers University WeCrab Marine Debris Project 2015 $57,853 $115,707 New Jersey

The University of Hartford From Shore to State House: Piloting a 

replicable service-learning course on marine 

debris to engage college students and inform 

policy at the state level

2015 $29,318.58 $58,970 Connecticut

Nature’s Academy Inc. Marine Debris Prevention through Science 

Literacy (MDPSL)

2015 $43,700 $122,375 Florida

The University of Florida Florida Microplastic Awareness Project 2015 $18,896 $34,396 Florida

University of Texas, Pan 

American

Clean Valley-Clean Gulf: An Innovative 

Marine Debris Prevention Education and 

Outreach Program for the Rio Grande Valley

2015 $91,020 $182,116 Texas

City of Cleveland Addressing Barriers to Reducing Plastic Marine 

Debris in Cleveland, OH

2015 $32,860 $67,005 Ohio
50

Table 4: NOAA MDP-Funded Educational Displays

Location Type of Display Funding 

Year

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Project Cost

State

Great Bay NERR Exhibit at visitor’s center 2015 $18,245 $18,245 New Hampshire

Lake Superior NERR Mobile display 2015 $15,000 $15,000 Wisconsin

Stellewagen Bank NMS Exhibits at multiple visitor’s centers 2015 $15,000 $15,000 Maine

Tijuana NERR Interpretive exhibit 2015 $15,000 $15,000 California

Mokupāpapa Discovery 

Center

Interactive display 2014 $10,000 $10,000 Hawaii

San Francisco NERR Static display 2014 $10,000 $10,000 California

Weeks Bay NERR Interactive display at visitor’s center 2014 $10,000 $10,000 Alabama

Ohio Sea Grant Interactive exhibit 2014 $10,000 $10,000 Ohio
51

Table 5: NOAA MDP-Funded Community-Based Marine Debris Removal Projects

Recipient Project Title Funding 

Year

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Project Cost

State

Sitka Sound Science 

Center

Bering Sea Critical Habitat Restoration Project 

II

2014 $200,000 $400,000 Alaska

Southwest Wetlands 

Interpretive Association

Tijuana River NERR Marine Debris Clean-up 

and Reduction Program

2014 $150,000 $300,000 California

Lake Worth Lagoon 

Environmental Defense 

Fund

LagoonKeepers.org Environmental Action 

Initiative

2014 $135,000 $280,200 Florida

Sustainable Coastlines 

Hawaii

Inspiring Coastal Stewardship in Hawaii 

Through Coastal Cleanups and Educational 

Outreach

2014 $40,000 $80,000 Hawaii

American Littoral Society Jamaica Bay Marine Debris Removal and Datadriven Prevention Pilot Project2014 $150,000 $411,625 New Jersey

Cornell University 

Cooperative Extension of 

Suffolk County

Long Island Sound Deep Water Derelict 

Lobster Gear Assessment, Removal and 

Prevention

2014 $120,000 $258,925 New York

Alliance for the Great 

Lakes

A Better Belle Isle: Marine Debris Removal 

and Prevention

2014 $60,000 $120,178 Michigan

South Carolina Sea Grant 

Consortium

Using Community-Based Initiatives for Marine 

Debris Removal and Restoration of Essential 

Fish Habitats in the Charleston Harbor 

Watershed

2014 $143,344 $286,688 South Carolina

The Coral Bay Community 

Council, Inc.

Preserving Paradise - Marine Debris Removal 

in Coral Bay, USVI - 2014

2014 $90,000 $138,848 U.S. Virgin Islands

The Student Conservation 

Association, Inc.

SCA NOAA Community-based Marine Debris 

Removal Project

2014 $80,000 $828,991 Washington

The Nature Conservancy Washington Derelict Gear Removal Project 2014 $135,000 $270,000 Washington

The City of Bayou La 

Batre

Removal of Derelict Vessels and Habitat 

Restoration in Bayou La Batre Ship Channel

2015 $150,000 $234,403 Alabama
52

Recipient Project Title Funding 

Year

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Project Cost

State

Louisiana Department of 

Wildlife and Fisheries

Derelict Crab Trap Removal Program in 

Barataria, Pontchartrain and Terrebonne Basins

2015 $135,527 $276,439 Louisiana

BoatU.S. Foundation Derelict net and debris removal: Mid Altantic 

offshore Ocean City, MD and Lake Erie Potters 

Pond, OH

2015 $51,142 $103,200 Maryland and Ohio

Clean Bays The Providence River Project - Urban Renewal 

in an Ecologically Sensitive Estuary

2015 $194,800 $561,605 Rhode Island

Conserve Wildlife 

Foundation of New Jersey

Identification and retrieval of derelict crab pots 

to reduce bycatch of NOAA trust resources in 

Barnegat Bay, New Jersey

2015 $109,618.69 $247,973 New jersey

Stockton University Derelict crab trap removal and prevention in 

southern New Jersey coastal bays: transferring 

a sustainable marine debris program

2015 $119,625 $241,597 New Jersey

The Nature Conservancy Washington Coast Derelict Gear Removal 

Project - Collaboration with the Quileute Indian 

Tribe

2015 $55,775 $111,550 Washington

Island Trails Network Shoreline Marine Debris Removal from Shuyak 

Island

2015 $128,510 $391,078 Alaska

Scuba Dogs Society Community Engagement in Marine Debris 

Removal, Coastal Conservation and Recycling 

in Loiza, PR

2015 $29,988.83 $67,715 Puerto Rico

Coastal Cleanup 

Corporation

Biscayne National Park Barrier Island Coastal 

Habitat Restoration

2015 $35,000 $81,620 Florida

North Carolina Coastal 

Federation

Creating a self-sustaining strategy to remove 

derelict fishing gear in North Carolina

2015 $93,047 $188,484 North Carolina

Mariana Islands Nature 

Alliance

Growing and Strengthening a Culture of 

Recycling to Reduce Marine Debris in Saipan's 

Waters

2015 $110,000 $190,076 Commonwealth of the 

Northern Mariana 

Islands

University of California, 

Davis

Fisherman-led Dungeness crab gear recovery in 

Northern and Central California

2015 $150,000 $341,120 California
53

Table 6: NOAA MDP-Funded Research Projects

Recipient Project Title Funding 

Year

Federal 

Funding

Total 

Project Cost

State

Northern Gulf Institute

(NGI) a Cooperative 

Institute, University of 

Southern Mississippi

Examining microplastic occurrence in gut 

contents of Sargassum-associated juvenile fishes

2014 $69,606 $69,606 Mississippi

Northern Gulf Institute 

(NGI) a Cooperative 

Institute, University of 

South Alabama

Occurrence and Accumulation of Marine Debris 

on Barrier Islands in the Northern Gulf of 

Mexico

2014 $44,982 $44,982 Alabama

Joint Institute or the Study 

of the Atmosphere and 

Ocean (JISAO) a

Cooperative Institute,

University of Washington

Quantification of Marine Microplastics in the 

Surface Waters of the Gulf of Alaska

2014 $55,000 $55,000 Washington

Ocean Conservancy Implementation of the International Coastal 

Cleanup and a Rigorous Analysis of U.S. 

Marine Debris Data Sets

2015 $400,000 $800,000 National
Penny Pritzker

United States Secretary of Commerce

Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan

Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere

Dr. Russell Callender

Assistant Administrator, National Ocean Service