Spending $3.3 million to locate marine debris along U.S. shorelines is among the latest efforts by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Department of Commerce to boost the blue economy through cleaner, better navigable waters.

NOAA and the Commerce Department recently announced a year-long nationwide survey will be conducted (with Austin, Texas-based 1stMission LLC) to find, identify and determine the amounts of marine debris located along American shorelines in the continental U.S., Pacific Islands and Caribbean.

“Marine debris poses significant threats to water quality, marine habitats and the economic prosperity of coastal communities nationwide,” Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, noted.

The survey will involve creating a scientific assessment of marine debris and developing report cards from the results. Another objective is to have data to compare estimates about quantities and types of regional shoreline debris.

Marine pollution consists of many types of items: derelict fishing gear and vessels, consumer plastics, paper, textiles, microfibers, metals, rubber, lost items and even hurricane debris from destroyed buildings swept into waterways.

The National Ocean Service includes marine debris along with rising sea levels and warmer ocean waters as a “long-term chronic stressors” for 128 million Americans who live along shorelines.

“Marine debris can injure or kill wildlife, degrade habitats, impact important seafood resources, interfere with navigational safety and negatively affect local economies,” NOAA states.

Researchers can better track, mitigate and prevent marine pollution if they have a better understanding of how much is there, where it came from, what it is and if it’s morphing.

In two ongoing related efforts, NOAA and the Commerce Department in July announced a total of $54 million in fiscal year 2025 grants. One will pay no more than $47 on projects to remove large marine trash (such as abandoned vessels or derelict fishing gear) that cannot be recovered by hand.

The other will award $7 million on projects using proven interception technologies, such as remote sensing, to remove marine debris at or near known sources or pathways. Qualifying projects must prioritize installation, monitoring and maintenance.

Through these and other efforts by NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, the federal government is making significant investments to improve the environment and the lives of the creatures and people who depend on the national waterways.