JUNE 23, 2017--The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) hosted the second Gulf of Maine marine debris planning meeting on June 14-15 in Portland, ME.

Twenty-five attendees from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Canada met to share information on marine debris. There were representatives from state agencies, fishing industry organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions.

The goal of this meeting was to work on developing a strategic plan to address marine debris in the Gulf of Maine. Topics included derelict fishing gear, marine debris impacts on wildlife and habitat, consumer debris, microplastics, and education and outreach. Through small group discussions, preliminary strategies and actions were identified. The participants will review a complete list of these actions in the next few months, and the small groups are planning to continue meeting to advance those actions.

For additional information, please contact Keith.Cialino@noaa.gov.

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