Poster abstracts and manuscripts from the Third International ...

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sources include commercial fishing vessels, merchant shipping
fleets, passenger cruise liners, military vessels, oil drilling
rigs and platforms, and recreational boaters. Land-based plastic
debris gets carried seaward via storm and sewer drains and other
outlets.
Education has been widely recognized as a crucial element in
reducing marine debris. In 1988 the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) contracted the Center for
Marine Conservation to establish and operate two Marine Debris
Information Offices (MDIOs), one on each coast of the U.S. The
goal of the MDIOs is to help reduce the amount of debris entering
the marine environment by raising public awareness of the problem
through education.
To that end, the MDIOs educate various marine user groups and the
general public on the roles they play in contributing to the
marine debris problem, and the harmful effects of this pollution
on wildlife, boater safety, and local economies.
Education efforts focus on the positive actions that citizens and
industry leaders can take, to remedy this problem, such as
participating in community efforts such as beach cleanups, boater
awareness days, and port recycling programs, and educating their
peers, colleagues and others on the issue. The MDIOs also
provide information on MARPOL Annex V, the Marine Plastic
Pollution Research and Control Act (MPPRCA) and associated U.S.
Coast Guard regulations to boaters, sport fishermen and other
marine user groups and industries.
With support and funding from the Society of the Plastics
Industry (SPI), the Center for Marine Conservation has also
developed educational tools and conducted hands-on outreach.
efforts, including promoting a "Stow It - Don't Throw It" theme
at fishing tournaments. By enlisting the cooperation of
tournament organizers, CMC has encouraged participants at major
tournaments to bring all vessel wastes back to shore.
Through CMC's efforts, NOAA's MDIOs have become known to the
press and media as the primary source of information on the
marine debris problem. CMC and MDIO staff frequently conduct
briefings, seminars, and presentations on the marine debris issue
for the public, the press, educators, and industry
representatives. Over the past five-and-a-half years, NOAA's
MDIOs have responded to over 60,000 requests for information on
the marine debris problem.
Sevin, Jennifer
Officer Snook Program
Officer Snook Program, USCG, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
The Officer Snook Program is a United States Coast Guard
sponsored outreach project which educates elementary school age
children about the problems of marine debris. Officer Snook is a