Marine Debris Cross Team Initiative meets during Gulf of Mexico Alliance All Hands
JULY 10, 2023 — From June 26-30, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance’s Marine Debris Cross-Team Initiative, co-led by the NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Gulf of Mexico Regional Coordinator Caitlin Wessel and US Fish and Wildlife’s Adriana Levia, held its annual half day meeting during the larger Gulf of Mexico Alliance All Hands.
The Marine Debris Cross-Team Initiative brings together entities from across the Gulf that currently address marine debris issues. More than 60 people attended the meeting, representing a diverse set of local, state, and federal governments, nonprofits, academic institutions, and industry partners across the Gulf of Mexico.
This year, the meeting was held in Austin, Texas, and was a unique opportunity to highlight initiatives across the state, including learning about the debris and litter monitoring efforts in Texas and the new Texas Litter Database. The team also had the opportunity to learn how to conduct a brand audit, about the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, and about the new app Remora which allows individuals to track their single-use plastic uses and refusals and promotes individual accountability and long-term reduction of plastic consumption.