Marine debris that takes the form of plastics—whether a water bottle tossed off a boat, abandoned fishing line, or microbeads/microplastics from soap or laundry—impacts the ecosystem in large and small ways. Sea Grant programs around the Gulf address the issue through a variety of approaches.

Programs

Litter prevention and removal resources

This page contains links to state-based and multi-state resources, focusing on the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Gulf-wide citizen science microplastics sampling map

In this Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium-funded project, citizen scientists collected and counted microplastics in sediment and water samples across the US Gulf coast. To view the interactive map, click here.

Texas monofilament recovery and recycling

Monofilament, more commonly known as fishing line, can be harmful to marine wildlife if not retrieved. To learn more about this Texas Sea Grant program, click here. Follow them on Facebook here.