About the project
Across the Reserve System, marine debris is an issue of concern for reserves and their surrounding communities. Despite overwhelming interest in growing programs related to plastics, each reserve is at a different stage of development in addressing debris issues. Different regions and states have differing priorities on what behaviors or policies the collected data would inform.
This project, "Transferring Knowledge to Understand the NERRS’s Niche in Addressing Marine Debris," works to further understand individual and system-wide reserve needs relating to plastic issues. The team is working with the Debris Community of Practice (DCoP) – an existing network of organizations researching and monitoring land-based debris that eventually becomes marine debris – to develop a draft roadmap that focuses on estuaries' niche in the DCoP.
About this resource
This Roadmap, which stems from a NERR Science Collaborative (NSC) Science Transfer project, aims to guide and support Reserves in promoting understanding, behavior change, and policy action to manage and reduce marine debris in estuaries.
The project explored the NERRS’s niche in marine debris—how the System can uniquely contribute to marine debris remediation efforts and effectively address the issue at national and local levels. Feedback from workshops across Reserves and with the Marine Debris Community of Practice (DCoP) shaped the Roadmap, identifying three main integrative approaches:
- Develop a national narrative for the NERRS.
- Build relationships and partnerships with the DCoP.
- Support each Reserve’s work by sharing resources and opportunities.
Each integrative approach detailed in this Roadmap includes application pathways and case studies that showcase the achievements of various Reserves. The Roadmap is a resource, both for Reserves and DCoP members to address marine debris in individual estuaries and for the NERRS to understand its unique role in the marine debris community, becoming more strategic and effective as a system.
Resources
- Main Document (PDF)
- Appendix (PDF)
C. Ching, K. Goodrich, E. Holliday, F. Reppun, S. Rii, M. Spitzer., & S. Yang. (2024). A Roadmap for Addressing Marine Debris in the NERRS. National Estuarine Research Reserve System.