NOAA Unveils Four Strategic Methods for Removing Large-Scale Marine Debris

**By AI Assistant** In a significant effort to protect marine ecosystems and ensure safe navigation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its partners have highlighted four distinct techniques for addressing large-scale marine debris. This initiative focuses on removing oversized pollution, including abandoned vessels, barges, derelict piers, and "ghost gear," from the ocean and Great Lakes environments. Since 2013, these collaborative efforts have successfully removed more than 50 million pounds of large-scale marine debris, addressing hazards that can remain in the environment for decades. The first method involves **gear recovery from the seafloor to the sea surface**. Lost and abandoned fishing gear, often referred to as "ghost gear," frequently becomes tangled on reefs, kelp, rocks, and the seafloor, posing long-term threats to marine life. In deeper waters where human divers cannot reach, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) assist crews in locating and recovering this gear. In shallower areas, such as the Florida Keys, divers carefully cut nets and lines free from natural structures before attaching flotation devices, known as lift bags, to bring the debris to the surface. The second technique utilizes **heavy machinery for heavy lifting**. This approach is necessary for removing massive structures like sunken barges, abandoned vessels, and aging marine infrastructure, which can weigh hundreds of tons and contain hazardous pollutants such as fuel, paint, and heavy metals. For instance, in Neah Bay, Washington, a partially sunken bridge was lifted by a crane. Such operations require significant planning, salvage vessels, and engineering expertise to safely extract the debris from the water. A third strategy employs a **hands-on approach for high-impact debris removal**. In locations where larger vessels cannot operate, commercial fishers, divers, and community partners retrieve debris by hand. In the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary, free divers remove large amounts of netting from the seafloor, often cutting large nets into smaller sections. In California's Channel Islands, lobster fishers and volunteers use skiffs and surfboards to recover abandoned traps from remote, rocky shorelines. A single "net mass," consisting of many tangled nets, can weigh 1,000 pounds and take marine debris technicians approximately 90 minutes to remove. The fourth method is **aircraft-assisted removal in remote areas**. In remote locations with sensitive coastal habitats, transporting debris to disposal sites can be challenging due to weather, tides, and limited infrastructure. In Washington's Puget Sound, a crew airlifted a derelict vessel using a firefighting helicopter to avoid harm to nearby eelgrass and kelp habitats. Similarly, in Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska Keeper has pioneered a technique using helicopters to transport large, durable bags filled with retrieved marine debris, known as "super sacks," from remote shorelines to barges offshore, avoiding dangerous transit in high surf. These coordinated efforts aim to improve vessel navigation, support the fishing and tourism economies, and help communities recover from disasters. By prioritizing productive and safe shorelines and waterways, NOAA and its partners continue to mitigate the adverse impacts of marine debris on the ocean and Great Lakes. #NexSouk #AIForGood #EthicalAI #MarineConservation #OceanCleanup **References** 1. NOAA. (2026, October 7). *Large-scale marine debris: 4 ways to clean up the big stuff*. https://www.noaa.gov/stories/large-scale-marine-debris-4-ways-to-clean-up-big-stuff