Our ocean is filled with things that don’t belong there. Plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, and other lost or discarded items end up in the marine environment every day. Marine debris is one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world’s ocean and waterways, with tons of plastics entering the ocean each year. It is a global problem, and an everyday problem.
Some parts of the ocean have more microplastics and other debris than others, but no matter where it is, marine debris threatens our environment, navigation safety, economy, and human health. NOAA’s Marine Debris Program addresses this serious problem in our waters.
In January, the Marine Debris Program welcomed Demi Fox as the new Northeast Regional Coordinator. Demi received her Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University. Before graduate school, Demi worked as an intern with the Whale Center of New England. There, she responded to stranded marine mammals and collected behavioral data from whale watching vessels out of Boston Harbor. As part of her graduate studies, she developed tools for sustainable tourism focused on spinner dolphins in Hawaii and later conducted research on the effectiveness of outreach strategies as a Duke University researcher. Prior to her start with the Marine Debris Program, Demi worked at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Florida and shared sea turtle conservation programs with boaters, scuba operators, and anglers.
To address the preventable problem of increasing amounts of trash in our seas, Demi works with partners throughout the region to both remove existing debris and prevent more debris from entering the ocean.
Recently, NOAA worked with the Center for Coastal Studies on a project to remove lost fishing gear from Cape Cod Bay. Using side-scan sonar, researchers located lost or abandoned gear, and worked with fishermen to retrieve it. This “ghost” gear can continue to trap fish, crabs, and lobster even though no one is actively fishing it, and can also pose a hazard to many other marine animals as it sits on the seafloor or washes ashore. [Read more…]