NOAA Office of Response and Restoration

10/21/2026

Today is the last day to apply to the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund, a partnership between National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

The program will fund up to $11M for projects that remove marine debris from coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, and South Carolina affected by the 2023 and 2024 hurricane and typhoon seasons. Apply today!

Learn more about this funding opportunity: https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/special-funding-opportunity-hurricane-response-marine-debris-removal-fund-2

10/21/2026

10/15/2026

ONE WEEK to apply to the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund, a partnership between National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

The program will fund up to $11M for projects that remove marine debris from coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, and South Carolina affected by the 2023 and 2024 hurricane and typhoon seasons. Full proposals are due on October 21, 2026.

Learn more about this funding opportunity: https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/special-funding-opportunity-hurricane-response-marine-debris-removal-fund-2

10/15/2026

Sharpen your pencils, get out your markers, and prep your paints! The NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest is now open!

Use your creativity to answer the questions: How does marine debris impact the ocean and the Great Lakes? What are you doing to help prevent marine debris? Your artwork could be featured in our 2028 Marine Debris Calendar!

Students in grades K-8 in all U.S. states and territories can submit artwork online or through the mail through December 11. More information about submission requirements and how to enter are at the link below.

Share this with a teacher, parent, student, or friend who can help us raise awareness about marine debris!
https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/noaa-marine-debris-program-art-contest-and-calendar

10/14/2026

20+ years— and counting—advancing disaster response science!

We’re excited to announce a new grant extending our partnership with the Coastal Response Research Center - CRRC through 2031.

From real-time response tools and drone data to updated shoreline mapping and training the next generation of scientists, learn how NOAA OR&R and the CRRC are working together to power the science that keeps coastal communities prepared. Learn more 👉
https://blog.response.restoration.noaa.gov/orr-extends-unh-partnership-coastal-response-research-center-through-2031

🎥: Coastal Response Research Center students create a controlled oil slick of a specified oil thickness to test oil detection sensors in the laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering. Video credit: NOAA.

10/08/2026

TWO WEEKS to apply to the Hurricane Response Marine Debris Removal Fund, a partnership between National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

The program will fund up to $11M for projects that remove marine debris from coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, and South Carolina affected by the 2023 and 2024 hurricane and typhoon seasons. Full proposals are due on October 21, 2026.

Learn more about this funding opportunity: https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/special-funding-opportunity-hurricane-response-marine-debris-removal-fund-2

10/08/2026

09/23/2026

Major restoration milestone for the Lower Duwamish River! Construction of nearly three acres of new off-channel marsh, intertidal, and riparian habitats for Chinook salmon, shorebirds, and other wildlife completed this summer.

Learn more: https://darrp.noaa.gov/hazardous-waste/general-recycling-project-complete-fish-and-wildlife-habitat-restored-lower-duwamish

09/22/2026

The 2027 Marine Debris Calendar is now available!

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the 2027 calendar features winning artwork across the last 16 years of the “Keep the Sea Free of Debris!” Art Contest. The 13 entries featured in this calendar are a selection of winning entries from the 2011-2026 calendars, created by students around the United States and territories in grades kindergarten to eighth grade.

Check it out and download your copy: https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/2027-marine-debris-calendar-now-available

09/22/2026

From paper binders to interactive digital maps 🗺️💻

For over four decades, NOAA’s Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps have helped responders pinpoint and protect the most vulnerable coastal habitats, wildlife, and human-use resources during oil spills and environmental disasters.

Check out how these vital tools were created and how they’ve evolved to safeguard our shorelines today. https://blog.response.restoration.noaa.gov/paper-pixels-how-noaa-maps-revolutionized-oil-spill-response