The NOAA Marine Debris Program is marking its 20th anniversary as the U.S. Government's designated lead agency on marine debris issues, NOAA announced on July 6, 2026.
According to NOAA, the program's mission centers on reducing and preventing harm caused by marine debris. Its scope extends across both ocean waters and the Great Lakes.
NOAA also operates a Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project as part of its broader efforts. In June 2024, volunteers took part in that project at Nukoli'i Beach, sorting debris and recording data at the site. Nukoli'i Beach is located in Hawaii. Kauai Surfrider provided the image credit for photography from that monitoring activity, NOAA noted.
The program has served as the federal government's primary point of responsibility for marine debris for two decades, working to limit the damage such debris causes to ocean and freshwater environments, per NOAA.