MARCH 25, 2016--On March 22, the Alice Ferguson Foundation, with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program, hosted the 10th Annual Potomac Watershed Transforming Communities Summit.

John Tarpley, Acting Director of the Marine Debris Program (MDP) at NOAA, provided this year’s opening remarks, sharing his perspectives on what has been learned about the global issue of marine debris in the past ten years and urging attendees to pledge to make at least one small change in their lives to help keep trash out of the Anacostia River, and our ocean.

Jason Rolfe, MDP Mid-Atlantic and Caribbean Regional Coordinator, moderated discussions on the importance of locally-specific messaging to improve the effectiveness of anti-littering behavior change efforts.

The Potomac Watershed Transforming Communities Summit is an annual gathering of key stakeholders to educate, dialogue, plan, and take action on strategies that lead to a Trash Free Potomac Watershed with a specific focus this year on the Anacostia River and surrounding communities. The ultimate goal of this year's summit is to develop achievable actions that ensure the institutions, infrastructure, and policies are in place to live up to the goal of being Trash Free in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

For more information, contact John.Tarpley@noaa.gov or Jason.Rolfe@noaa.gov.

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