Participating Organizations
Marine debris is being addressed through the dedicated work of organizations and partnerships around the Florida and Caribbean region. Organizations listed below are actively engaged in the Florida and Caribbean Marine Debris Collaborative and associated action plan. For contact information, please visit the organizational websites.
Eckerd College
The marine science program at Eckerd College offers an
excellent and comprehensive hands-on curriculum that is designed to
serve as part of a liberal arts education, providing an awareness of
the marine environment and its significance to humankind, so that
students may be better prepared to solve complex environmental and
scientific problems.
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Aquaculture
The
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is
Florida's lead aquaculture agency. The agency's Division of
Aquaculture coordinates and assists in the development of aquaculture,
and regulates aquafarms to protect and conserve Florida's natural resources.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection is the state’s lead agency for
environmental management and stewardship, protecting our air, water
and land
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) mission is to manage fish and wildlife resources
for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people. FWC is the
state's lead agency on addressing marine derbis issues including
derelict fishing gear and abandonded and derelict vessels.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Derelict Trap Retrieval and Debris Removal Programs
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission currently has
two Derelict Trap
Retrieval and Debris Removal Programs dedicated to removing lost
and abandoned traps from state waters: the Spiny
Lobster, Stone Crab and Blue Crab Trap Retrieval Program and
the Derelict Trap and Trap Debris Removal Program.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program
FWC's Monofilament Recovery and
Recycling Program (MRRP) is a statewide effort to educate the
public on the consequences of monofilament line left in the
environment, to encourage recycling through a network of line
recycling bins and drop-off locations, and to promote volunteer
cleanup events.
Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman's Association
The Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s
Association (FKCFA) and their members are confident about the
future of Monroe County’s marine resources and the industry continues
to participate in cooperative research efforts to maintain and improve them.
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Designated on November 16, 1990, Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary is one of 15 marine protected areas
that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System. Administered by
NOAA and jointly managed with the State of Florida, Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary protects 2,900 square nautical miles of
waters surrounding the Florida Keys, from south of Miami westward to
encompass the Dry Tortugas, excluding Dry Tortugas National Park. The
shoreward boundary of the sanctuary is the mean high-water mark,
essentially meaning that once you set foot in Keys waters, you have
entered the sanctuary.
Florida Sea Grant
Florida Sea Grant is a
university-based program that supports research, education and
extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic
opportunities for the people of Florida.
Keep Florida Beautiful
Keep Florida Beautiful
works with a network of county and city affiliates to engage and
educate citizens, visitors, and communities to assist Florida in
becoming better environmental stewards through litter
prevention, recycling, education, and beautification efforts.
Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Loggeerhead
Marinelife Center works through its multi-faceted program
called Project SHIELD to help provide conservation solutions to
fishing piers, recreational boaters, beach-side hotels, snorkel and
SCUBA operators, fishing charter operators, and beach access points as
well as pollution prevention projects.
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium
Mote Marine Laboratory is a leader in
research programs that are relevant to the conservation and
sustainable use of marine biodiversity, healthy habitats and natural
resources. Mote Marine Laboratory's research programs positively
impact diverse public policy challenges through strong connections to
public outreach and education.
NOAA Marine Debris Program
The NOAA Marine Debris
Program (MDP) is the lead U.S. federal agency for marine debris.
The mission of the program is to investigate and prevent the adverse
impacts of marine debris in our oceans and Great Lakes. The MDP work
centers around research, removal, and prevention of marine debris, as
well as emergency response and regional coordination. The Florida and
Caribbean Regional Coordinator resides in St. Petersburg, FL.
Ocean Aid 360
Ocean Aid 360 works
on assessment, implementation, and evaluation of marine
habitat restoration programming in Florida. Through innovative
partnerships, which leverage the resources of concerned coastal
communities, private industry, and governments at the local, state,
and federal levels; Ocean Aid 360 works to create measurable
improvements for vulnerable ecosystems.
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources
The Puerto Rico Department of Natural
and Environmental Resources works to protect, conserve, and
manage the natural and environmental resources of Puerto Rico and all
the keys, islands and islets that surround it.
The City of Coral Gables
The City of Coral
Gables ensures sustainability is a focus of the City’s policies
and services, including in energy, water and waste efficiency
policies. The City considers the environmental impacts of all of
its operations, and works to develop solutions that minimize negative
impacts to the environment, including reduction of marine debris.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
The Florida Department of
Environmental Protection is Florida's lead agency for
environmental management and stewardship, protecting the
state's water, land, and air. DEP is divided into three primary areas
including Land and Recreation, Ecosystem Restoration, and Regulatory.
The University of South Florida, College of Marine Science
The University of South Florida,
College of Marine Science seeks to increase and apply
fundamental knowledge of global ocean systems and human-ocean
interactions through research, graduate education and community
engagement. They create and disseminate knowledge about ocean physics,
chemistry, biology, geology, and fisheries through observation,
modeling, and theory.
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Trash-Free Waters
EPA's Trash-Free
Waters program works to reduce the volume of trash entering U.S.
waterways. Consumer debris makes up the majority of what eventually
becomes marine debris, polluting our oceans and waterways.
University of the Virgin Islands, Center for Marine & Environmental Studies
The Center
for Marine & Environmental Studies (CMES) at the University of the Virgin
Islands was established in 1999 with the mission to
offer students and researchers a dynamic atmosphere to study tropical
marine and environmental issues and increase awareness about marine
topics in the VI. CMES is a research and outreach arm of UVI's
Marine Science Program.
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR)
The mission of DPNR is
to protect, maintain and manage the natural and cultural resources of
the Virgin Islands through proper coordination of economic and
structural development in collaboration with other local, federal and
non-governmental organizations, for the benefit of present and future
generations so that they will live safer, healthier lives in harmony
with their environment and cultural heritage.
Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS)
The Virgin
Islands Marine Advisory Service (VIMAS), a part of the
University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant
College Program, is located within the
Center
for Marine and Environmental Studies at the
University of the Virgin Islands. VIMAS works with the Virgin Islands
community to raise awareness about our natural resources and foster
environmental stewardship.
VolunteerCleanup.Org
VolunteerCleanup.Org
connects those who are leading shoreline cleanups with the
volunteers looking for one to join.