NA24NOSX999C0014

Purpose: Ocean Conservancy and partners will implement a multifaceted project to remove, prevent and monitor large marine debris specifically abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG, or ghost gear) and marine debris that is too difficult to remove by hand due to size, volume and/or location across the U.S.

Project components include: targeted removals of ghost gear and difficult marine debris led by key implementing partners in Alaska and Florida.

In Alaska, the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, Sitka Sound Science Center, and Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation will remove ghost gear from shorelines in remote and hard-to-access areas in the state's southwest region.

In Florida, the Lower Keys Guides Association will lead and engage local anglers in removing marine debris from hotspots in shallow, nearshore water and waterside accessible mangroves in the Lower Keys and Key West.

Ocean Conservancy's competitive regranting process will provide support to 10-20 local entities to conduct at-sea or shoreline removals of ghost gear or large marine debris, and where possible preventing ghost gear and marine debris while building capacity for sustained impact, with emphasis on traditionally underserved and tribal communities.

Development of best practice framework for management of recreational fishing gear will be led by Poseidon Aquatic Resources Management and will include risk assessments per gear type and recommendations for preventing loss, examination of current management options, synthesis of findings, consultations with key stakeholders, and broad dissemination of the final report.

Convening of two prevention-focused workshops with fisheries stakeholders in Southern California will be led by Our Ocean Outcomes, focused on increasing uptake of best practices to reduce the scope and impact of ghost gear.

Stakeholder outreach will inform the design and delivery of two interactive workshops with 35-50 participants each, focused on solutions to ghost gear challenges common to lobster fishers in the Santa Barbara Channel and Channel Islands and commercial fishers in the Port of Los Angeles area.

Development of a predictive model for gear loss accumulation in Southeast Alaska to identify likely sites of gear loss and accumulation to prioritize both prevention and removal efforts.

This will be led by Natural Resources Consultants, experts in conducting this type of research and producing reports with recommendations for focusing removal efforts.

The impact of large marine debris and this project's removal efforts will be monitored by collecting data on all recovered debris via the GGGI data portal and ICC database and using the inputs to expand Ocean Conservancy's forthcoming animal impact calculator to include the impact of ghost gear, providing stakeholders with information to inform future efforts.

Expected outcomes include: collecting at least 600,000 pounds of large marine debris from shorelines and ocean, performing at least 80 removals via key partners and competitive awardees and engaging 500+ volunteers in removal and prevention activities, and producing high-visibility coverage through national and global media outlets, creative partnerships, social platforms, videos and key conferences.

Ocean Conservancy

21 RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES AND ECONOMIES

11.999 - Marine Debris Program

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [DOC]

Washington, District Of Columbia 200361653 United States

Single Zip Code

FY24 NOAA Marine Debris Removal under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (NOAA-NOS-ORR-2024-2007993)