Planning for the Future: Marine Debris and Long Term Recovery

February 8, 2021 — On February 3 members of OR&R's Disaster Preparedness Program (DPP) and the Marine Debris Program's (MDP) Response Goal Team met to discuss marine debris issues in post-disaster long term recovery.

A vessel and a large pile of marine debris in the water next to a dock.
Marine debris in Panama City, Florida, resulting from Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Image credit: NOAA.

Autumn Lotze, DPP Natural Resource and Community Recovery Specialist, briefed the MDP team on ongoing and upcoming activity by the federal Recovery Support Functions (RSFs). RSFs are the coordinating structure through which federal agencies provide assistance in key functional areas to local, State, Tribal and Territorial governments after disaster, and DPP coordinates NOAA engagement with the RSFs. (read more about NOAA's RSF activity here)


Exploring connections with the RSFs is part of the Marine Debris Program's 2021 strategic plan, and MDP and DPP are working together to investigate how NOAA marine debris resources and expertise might be leveraged in this forum to advance post-disaster debris clearance efforts.


For more information, please contact Autumn.Lotze@noaa.gov. 


Return to OR&R Weekly.

Last updated Wednesday, January 4, 2023 3:01pm PST