Biden-Harris Administration invests more than $23M to remove marine debris across 10 coastal states

The Department of Commerce and NOAA recommended more than $23 million in funding to support marine debris removal and interception efforts for 13 multi-year projects across 10 coastal US states, three territories and the District of Columbia. This funding is provided by NOAA’s Climate-Ready Coasts initiative under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. 

The Climate-Ready Coasts initiative is focused on creating climate solutions by storing carbon; building resilience to coastal hazards such as extreme weather events, pollution and marine debris; restoring coastal habitats; building the capacity of coastal communities; and supporting community-driven restoration.

“The Biden-Harris Administration is funding critical projects like these that will help remove and address harmful marine debris that can significantly impact water quality, habitats, and economic prosperity in coastal communities across the nation,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These investments, made possible thanks to President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help improve coastal communities for decades to come by making sure they have the necessary resources to protect their ecosystems and local economies from the impacts of marine debris, which are exacerbated by climate change.”

Following a competitive merit review process, NOAA recommended projects from two opportunities, which focused either on large marine debris removal or the installation, monitoring and maintenance of interception technologies that capture marine debris at or close to the source. Recommended awardees are targeting the largest and most damaging debris to provide tangible benefits to coastal and marine habitats, communities and economies across the nation. 

“This was a highly competitive process that highlighted the tremendous need and high demand communities have for marine debris removal support,” said NOAA National Ocean Service Director Nicole LeBoeuf. “These high-impact projects will create cleaner and safer shorelines while preventing future debris accumulation in the environment.”

Nine of the 13 projects are concentrated on the removal and disposal of large marine debris, such as abandoned and derelict vessels and fishing gear. The remaining four projects are centered on deploying proven interception technologies to capture trash, including plastic bottles, food wrappers and other persistent debris from urban environments before it enters the nation’s waterways. All selected projects are anticipated to advance equity and deliver benefits in tribal and other coastal communities facing environmental and climate challenges.

The recommended projects are: 

Large marine debris removal:

• American Samoa Department of Port Administration (American Samoa, $3,049,396)
• City of Benton Harbor (Michigan, $1,032,500)
• City of Oakland (California, $3,164,649)
• Gulf of Alaska Keeper (Alaska, $3,799,493)
• Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (Washington, D.C. and Maryland, $963,132)
• Ocean Conservancy (Nationwide, $5,218,000)
• The Ocean Foundation (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, $847,881)
• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (Rhode Island, $1,500,512)
• Washington State Department of Natural Resources (Washington, $1,029,285)

Marine debris interception technologies:

• Rochester Institute of Technology (New York, $912,829)
• Florida State University (Florida, $677,554)
• Savannah Riverkeeper Inc. (Georgia, $560,965)
• Galveston Bay Foundation (Texas, $505,592)