One of the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Work Group’s current priorities is to develop a Balloon Debris Reduction Campaign that can be implemented throughout the region. With funding support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program, the Work Group is utilizing a community based social marketing approach to change attitudes around releasing balloons for celebration, memorial, or any other reason. You can help us by filling out this brief and anonymous attitudinal survey. As part of this grant, project partners are also conducting surveys of coastal beaches to document balloons and balloon-related litter. The beaches will be surveyed at least twice a year throughout the duration of the grant. Here are some other ways that MARCO states have been working to reduce marine debris:
The Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Summit, funded by a grant from the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program to Clean Virginia Waterways at Longwood University, was held in Arlington, VA on June 17-19. The Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Work Group helped develop the agenda, which included nearly 30 speakers presenting on topics that ranged from marine debris reduction projects in the region to how creative effective communication strategies, such as comic strips, can help reach a broader audience. The presentations from the Summit can be found on the Virginia CZM website.
This year’s Maryland State Fair, which was held from August 22 – September 2, included activities for adults and children demonstrating the harm caused by marine debris (especially plastic bags and balloons). Maryland also translated their Marine Debris Fact Sheet into Spanish for distribution at the fair as well as at future outreach events in the Maryland State Parks as part of the Es Mi Parque initiative.
The Delaware Coastal Program (DCP) is conducting research and removal of derelict crab pots in state waters through a NOAA Marine Debris Program grant project titled Grappling the Invisible: a derelict crab pot removal pilot study in the Delaware Bay. Through this work DCP is hoping to learn more about ghost fishing gear in state waters. The DCP is also conducting microplastic research in the sand, water, and sediment of the Delaware Bay and its estuaries. Learn more about marine debris in Delaware