Action Plans
Regional action plans are coordinated efforts for partners to strategically address marine debris. Due to the complexity of marine debris issues, there is a role for everyone in the implementation of a plan, including the private citizen who picks up litter from our beaches and watersheds as well as governments, industries, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions that support a wide range of activities like cleanups, research, education, and outreach. Great Lakes action plan documents are available for download below.
This document is the result of a collaborative effort between the NOAA Marine Debris Program and partners in Ontario, Canada and eight U.S. states (IL, IN, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, WI), and represents a partner-led effort to guide marine debris actions in the Great Lakes for the next five years.
The Accomplishments Report documents the many actions taken over the five years of the Plan to reduce the impacts of marine debris in the Great Lakes. Through collaborative efforts, the Great Lakes marine debris community made great strides to address marine debris, completing 34 actions and continuing work on 17 additional actions. In total, 180,062 people were educated on the topic during 711 events and approximately 306,665 pounds of debris were removed by volunteers.
The Honolulu Strategy is a framework for a comprehensive and global effort to reduce the ecological, human health, and economic impacts of marine debris. It is intended for use as a planning tool, common frame of reference for collaboration, and a monitoring tool on multiple levels—global, regional, national, and local—involving the full spectrum of civil society, government and intergovernmental organizations, and the private sector.