Posts tagged with

Marine Debris

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet Marine Debris Program’s Tom Barry

Posted Fri, 01/24/2020 - 17:25
By Jennifer Simms, Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program

This feature is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). In this month’s feature meet Tom Barry, a management and program analyst in OR&R’s Marine Debris Program.

Pollution Resolutions: NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration Looks Ahead to the New Year

Posted Tue, 12/31/2019 - 17:44
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

For most of us, welcoming in the new year is a time of celebration, reflection, and making resolutions to eat healthier and finish forgotten projects! Here at NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, our New Year’s resolutions are a little different. As we enter into a new decade, we’ve prepared some resolutions specific to pollution and our commitment to keeping the coasts clean from threats of oil, chemicals, and marine debris. In 2020, we will ...

Before the Storm Hits: Preparing for Disaster Debris

Posted Mon, 09/23/2019 - 11:54
By Emma Tonge, OR&R Marine Debris Program

This week, during National Preparedness Month, OR&R is taking a closer look at some of the disaster response roles our office and its partners serve in being prepared for both natural and human-caused disasters. In today’s blog, learn more about how OR&R’s Marine Debris Program helps to prevent and remove debris after major storms, such as hurricanes, and find out what you can do to help prevent debris before the storm hits.

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet Marine Debris Program Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator Caitlin Wessel

Posted Tue, 08/27/2019 - 17:15
By Jennifer Simms, OR&R’s Marine Debris Program

This feature is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s featured scientist is Caitlin Wessel, OR&R Marine Debris Program regional coordinator for the Gulf of Mexico.

Derelict and Dangerous: When Vessels Become Marine Debris

Posted Tue, 05/21/2019 - 17:27
By Emma Tonge, OR&R Marine Debris Program

When thinking about marine debris, you may picture trash in the ocean — plastic bottles, food wrappers, bags, and other everyday and single-use items that we come into contact with in our everyday life. However, the marine debris problem is much bigger than just our trash, especially when it comes to abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs).

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet California’s Marine Debris Regional Coordinator Sherry Lippiatt

Posted Tue, 05/14/2019 - 15:14
By Alyssa Dillon, Office of Response and Restoration

This feature is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s featured scientist is Sherry Lippiatt, the California regional coordinator for OR&R’s Marine Debris Program.

Plastic, Pollution, and Human Health

Posted Tue, 03/12/2019 - 17:38
By Alexis Thorbecke, Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Program

Marine debris comes in all shapes and size, from large abandoned vessels and nets weighing multiple tons, down to tiny fibers from a cigarette butt. Some of the tiniest debris may be causing some big problems. Microplastics, or plastic pieces less than 5mm in size, are persistent and pervasive. Clothing and fishing nets can shed microfibers, which can be a type a microplastic. Cosmetics can contain tiny plastic beads that get washed down our drains and into our waterways. Large pieces of plastic can be beaten by the sun and waves until they fragment into a collection of microplastics. But, what happens when these miniscule microplastics end up in our bodies?

5 Ways OR&R Shows Our Love For the Ocean

Posted Wed, 02/13/2019 - 17:34
By Megan Ewald, Office of Response and Restoration

Valentine's Day is a time to express love of all kinds, and nobody deserves a Valentine more than our ocean.

From providing us with food, oxygen, industry, and recreational opportunities, to hosting a rich diversity of life, the oceans show their love for us every single day. The ocean is a real catch.

So let’s take a break from this love letter to talk about five ways we show our love for the ocean here at NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration.

Minds Behind OR&R: Meet Marine Debris Scientist Charles Grisafi

Posted Wed, 12/12/2018 - 18:15
By Shanelle Naone, Office of Response and Restoration

This feature is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s featured scientist is Charles Grisafi, OR&R Marine Debris Program regional coordinator for Florida and the Caribbean.

Department of Commerce Awards Highest Honor to OR&R for Leadership in the Aftermath of the 2017 Atlantic Hurricanes

Posted Fri, 09/28/2018 - 17:36

WASHINGTON — On Tuesday, Sept. 25, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross presented NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration with the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for leadership in the aftermath of the 2017 Atlantic hurricanes during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

The Department of Commerce recognized OR&R for its ““innovative leadership in responding to coastal threats resulting from three Category 4 hurricanes in under 27 days during the 2017 hurricane season.”