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Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Community Meets to Create New Action Plan
DECEMBER 7, 2020 — On December 1-2, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, led by Christy Kehoe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, hosted a series of four virtual workshops to refine and confirm objectives and actions within the draft Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan.
The vision of the Action Plan is to keep the Mid-Atlantic region, coasts, communities, habitats, wildlife, and our ocean free from the impacts of marine debris.
More than 150 people representing different sectors in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. participated in the workshops. The workshops were focused on the four goal areas of the draft Action Plan: derelict fishing gear, microplastics and microfibers, consumer debris, and abandoned and derelict vessels. The workshops were an opportunity for stakeholders to provide input and feedback on the Action Plan, confirm organizational commitments as leads and partners on specific actions, discuss challenges and begin brainstorming creative solutions as well as strengthen the mid-Atlantic marine debris community.
Action Plans provide a strategic framework for partners across a specific state or region to address the problem of marine debris. There will be additional opportunities for organizations active on marine debris in the Mid-Atlantic region to provide feedback on the draft Action Plan before it is finalized.
For more information, please contact Christy.Kehoe@noaa.gov.