Category Archives: Uncategorized

Art Contest Winners   Every year since 2011, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program has sponsored a national art contest to raise awareness about marine debris. Are we already three months into the new year? Yes. But it’s never too late for great, inspirational art! If you would like a copy of the 2025 calendar, you can downloadContinue reading “Art Contest Winners  “

Grantee Spotlight: Remote Ecologist Marine debris comes in many forms, including abandoned lobster traps. Currently, hundreds of thousands of abandoned lobster pots line the bottom of the Long Island Sound. Many of them have been there for decades, lost or abandoned. They continued to trap lobsters unintentionally and the trapped animals ultimately die.   An organizationContinue reading “Grantee Spotlight: Remote Ecologist”

Grantee Spotlight: Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN)  Keeping single-use plastics out of the ocean is a priority for MDF. The College of the Atlantic (COA) has made that a priority, too. Please join us in congratulating COA on becoming the first school in the country to fully eliminate disposable plastic food ware in all retail diningContinue reading “Grantee Spotlight: Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) “

More Deadly Trash We don’t have a photograph showing the contents of Chappy’s stomach (see R.I.P. Chappy blog post) but we can show you the contents of this albatross chick’s stomach. If you conduct an Internet search on “albatross plastics,” you will be flooded with similar pictures. Adult albatross mistake plastics for food, which theyContinue reading “More Deadly Trash”

R.I.P. Chappy In mid-February, the New Haven Police Department rescued a gray seal pup that had been found roaming the city streets, a long way from the ocean. The police department dubbed the seal “Chappy,” after requesting names from the public. The seal was discovered on Chapel Street.   Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut welcomed Chappy andContinue reading “R.I.P. Chappy”

Next Gen “I’ve worked in the environmental and conservation sector for my entire career. I’m pretty sure what inspired me as a child to ultimately pursue this path were: 1) watching the “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” series on TV with my grandfather; and 2) attending a week-long residential nature camp as an elementary schoolContinue reading “Next Gen”

Did you Know…? Did you know that derelict fishing, crabbing and lobstering gear comprise a significant portion of the deadly debris in our oceans? “Ghost fishing” refers to the animals that get caught inadvertently in abandoned nets and traps. Here’s a brief video of lobster trap removal efforts in the Long Island Sound. All HandsContinue reading “Did you Know…? & All Hands on Deck”

Meet Our Team Jessica Whitney is MDF’s social media coordinator. In addition to visual storytelling for MDF, Jessica is a researcher with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Sea Grant and the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center. She’ll readily admit that although she loves all things ocean-related, seaweeds are her jam. She fell in loveContinue reading “Meet Our Team”

Did You Know…?  Did you know that plastic pollution has been found at the bottom of the deepest part of the world’s ocean?   By reviewing a database of photos and videos taken from more than 5,000 dives over 30 years, scientists discovered significant evidence of marine debris in the Mariana Trench—the deepest marine environment onContinue reading “Did You Know…? “

New Year, Now What?  MDF executive director Susan Sherman recently spoke on a panel at Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse’s annual Energy, Environment and Oceans Leaders Day. The event included discussions on gains made in climate, environmental protection and ocean conservation over the past decade and potential challenges leading up to a new federal administration.   Presenters paintedContinue reading “New Year, Now What? “