Marine Debris
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The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ video collection features different topics, including marine debris and its threat to marine biodiversity. These visual aids bring the problem of marine debris to life featuring stories of microplastics, sanctuary projects, and debris in the Great Lakes.

Two volunteers removing lost fishing gear on a beach with cliffs overhead and other volunteers in the distance.

Marine Debris

Want to be an ocean hero and help fight marine debris? Learn more about plastic pollution and how you can help in our video!

Black frame with white text “Plastic Ocean” and image of plastic bag floating in water in center.

What are Microplastics?

What are microplastics and how can you prevent this threat to marine ecosystems?

Volunteer in blue long sleeve and blue hat moving green discarded nets on dirt path with grass behind and yellow kayaks stacked by waterfront.

Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys

Through Goal: Clean Seas Florida Keys, the sanctuary and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation have supported 49 cleanup dives with 450 volunteer divers to remove 78 intact lobster traps, hundreds of pieces of lobster trap debris, 16,369 feet of line, and 14,693 pounds of debris from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

White sign reading “MILLION WAVES PROJECT” in blue writing with logo on left hand side.

Stories from the Blue: Million Waves Project

"What if doing something was better than doing nothing?" That's the question that sparked the Million Waves Project, which works with Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to turn marine debris into 3D-printed prosthetic limbs. Watch our Stories from the Blue to hear how they're making a difference for people and the ocean.

Rocky beach with fishing cage and nets washed onshore.

Preventing Trap Loss in the Channel Islands

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary protects thriving, productive ecosystems that support all sorts of marine creatures -- including lobster. Check out our video to learn how the sanctuary and the NOAA Marine Debris Program are working with lobster fishermen to ensure lobster traps don’t endanger other species.

Diver underwater with black netted bag with white writing “Project AWARE: DON’T LET YOUR DIVES GO TO WASTE””

Get Into Your Sanctuary: Blue Star

In honor of our national Get Into Your Sanctuary celebration, nine Blue Star certified dive charter operators led underwater clean-ups throughout Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Bright blue waves with large white clouds above with title “CLUB MARINA” in bold white letters.

NOAA Marine Debris Program: Videos

Watch videos for information on marine debris and NOAA's work to address it.

Videographer with brown hair and orange sweater filming young boy with black wire glasses, black long sleeve, and black jeans holding a black and white clapperboard in a coffee shop with two beverage coolers behind him.

Student video offers solutions to marine debris problems in Great Lakes

Bob Thomson’s Ella M. White Elementary fifth-grade students visited Thunder Bay River in the northeast Michigan watershed, where they used nets to trawl for plastics and were shocked to find microplastics in the water. To raise awareness about finding plastics in the river and finding solutions to this problem, these Alpena Public Schools students developed a film, “Plastics 101.”

Graphic reading “WHY IS PLASTIC MARINE DEBRIS SO COMMON?” in black writing, water and plastic debris.

TRASH TALK: Why is Plastic Marine Debris So Common?

The 5 most common items found during the International Coastal Cleanup are plastic cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bottle caps, and plastic straws & drink stirrers. Notice anything in common with those things? It's a lot of single-use, disposable plastic.

Graphic reading “WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT MARINE DEBRIS?” in black writing, water and plastic debris.

TRASH TALK: What Can We Do About Marine Debris?

A lot of the trash that's in our ocean is plastic, and that marine debris is hurting our environment, economy, and health. The problem will only get worse unless we change the way we consume and dispose of products.