Over 40 attendees joined the kick-off meeting that featured the Marine Debris Program, alongside additional panelists, including the National Fisheries Institute and Fortune Fish and Gourmet. Kehoe presented on the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the role of microplastic research, federal funded research projects, and areas for collaboration between the seafood industry and the program. 

The forum was held ahead of the week-long Global Seafood Market Conference. The agenda included both broad plenary sessions and more specific breakout fishery species panels. Plenary sessions feature a wide range of topics such as consumption trends, competing proteins, and dining data. The conference focused on overarching industry themes along with key insights on the marine economy, including marine debris intersections with fisheries issues. Participants identified opportunities for coordination and discussed current and emerging marine debris topics.