Researchers, educators, policy-makers and businesses joined together at this collaborative summit to explore Mid-Atlantic regional solutions to decrease litter and marine debris.
The goals of this summit were to inspire and empower our partners in marine debris reduction, and to take the first steps in creating a marine debris reduction plan for the Mid-Atlantic.
Summit attendees received updates on current marine debris science and trends and explored techniques and tools effective in enhancing knowledge, changing behavior and influencing policies that reduce marine debris.
Attendees departed with increased capacity to collaboratively and successfully reduce marine litter in the Mid-Atlantic.
Disclaimer: Most of the following PDFs are not exclusively created by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Some of their content may not be in an accessible format pursuant to Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. § 794 (d)). Please call 804-698-4005 or 800-592-5482 if you need assistance.
Monday, June 17, 2019
General Session: Litter & Marine Debris: Global and National Solutions
Welcoming Remarks
Matthew J. Strickler, Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources
Presentation did not include a PowerPoint
Virginia CZM Program's Journey to Today's Summit on Solutions to Marine Debris through Prevention, Innovation and Collaboration
Laura McKay, Program Manager, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
Marine Debris: National and International Perspectives
Nancy Wallace, Director, NOAA Marine Debris Program
Global Status of Marine Debris Solutions
Christopher Corbin, Programme Officer, Assessment and Management of Environmental Pollution (AMEP), United Nations Environmental Programme
Legislative Solutions to Marine Debris
Bills and Histories Notes
Elizabeth Andrews, Director, Virginia Coastal Policy Center, William & Mary Law School
Science, Education, Policy, and Innovation: What's the Recipe?
Denice Wardrop, PhD., Senior Scientist & Professor of Geography and Ecology, Pennsylvania State University
Marine Debris: Connections to Other Ecological Concerns
Dann Sklarew, PhD, Associate Professor, George Mason University & Faculty Fellow, Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center
Presentation did not include PowerPoint
Plastics Industry Efforts to Reduce Marine Debris
Stewart Harris, Director, Marine and Environmental Stewardship, American Chemistry Council
Trash Free Seas Alliance: Land-based Strategies to Address Marine Debris
Eric DesRoberts, Senior Manager, Trash Free Seas, Ocean Conservancy
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
General Session: Litter & Marine Debris: National, Regional and Local Solutions
Aquariums Unite to Reduce Single-Use Plastic Pollution
Mark Swingle, Director of Research & Conservation, Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center
Marine Debris Action Plan Successes
Jason Rolfe, Response Coordinator, NOAA Marine Debris Program
Results from the Chesapeake Bay Program Scientific & Technical Advisory Committee Workshop on Microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed
Matt Robinson, Environmental Protection Specialist, DC Department for Energy & Environment, Watershed Protection Division
Litter Prevention Toolbox
Laura Cattell Noll, Program Manager, Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative, Alice Ferguson Foundation
A Collaborative Campaign to Prevent Balloon-related Litter in the Mid-Atlantic:
Moderator: Kimberly Grubert, Coastal Planner, Center for Marine & Coastal Stewardship, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
MARCO, MACO and the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Work Group: Tackling Marine Debris at the Regional Scale
Laura McKay, Program Manager, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
Monitoring Balloon Litter on Beaches
Nicole Rodi, Planner, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Engaging People Who Release Balloons; Audience Research Overview
Steve Raabe, OpinionWorks
A CBSM Collaborative to Prevent Balloon-related Litter in the Mid-Atlantic
Virginia Witmer, Outreach Coordinator, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program
Drawing Inspiration from the Sea
Jim Toomey, Renowned and Award-winning Cartoonist and Filmmaker
Presentation did not include PowerPoint
Mid-Atlantic States - Solutions to Marine Debris:
Mega to Micro: Marine Debris Initiatives in Delaware
Nicole Rodi, Planner, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Marine Debris Reduction Strategies in Maryland
Donna Morrow, Program Manager, Chesapeake and Coastal Service, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
34 Years of Reducing Litter through Beach Sweeps
Alison McCarthy, Coastal Watershed Protection Coordinator, Clean Ocean Action
Efforts in New York to Reduce Contributions to Marine Debris
Krista Stegemann Haas, Ocean & Marine Outreach Coordinator, New York Sea Grant, Stony Brook University
Solutions for Reducing Fishing Gear Debris
Kirk Havens, PhD., Director of the Coastal Watersheds Program, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Presentation did not include PowerPoint
State Emergency Response Guides: Planning for Incident Waterway Debris
Jessica Conway, Planning and Preparedness Specialist, NOAA Marine Debris Program/Genwest Systems
Paper or Plastic? (or Styrofoam, Balloon, or Straw) Jersey Says: Fuhgeddaboutit
Jennifer Coffey, Executive Director, Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions
Implementation and Enforcement of Plastic Pollution Prevention Programs in the District of Columbia
Lillian Power, Environmental Protection Specialist, Department of Energy & Environment, Government of the District of Columbia
Combating Litter & Marine Debris on the Local Level:
A Sea Turtle Ambassador
Wayne Jones, Litter Control Coordinator, City of Suffolk
Cutting Out Single-Use Plastics at the Source: Ocean Friendly Restaurant Program
Matt Gove, Mid-Atlantic Policy Manager, Surfrider
The “Sipping Point”: Campaigns to Reduce Single-use Plastic Straw Use
Katie Register, Executive Director, Clean Virginia Waterways of Longwood University and
Catherine Lowry Franssen, PhD, Associate Professor, Psychology, Longwood University
Stormwater Litter Reduction Practices
Thomas Sprehe, PE, BCEE, Senior Vice President, Marine Debris Practice Leader, Director of Innovation and Technology, KCI Technologies, Inc
Balloon-related Litter: Six Years of Monitoring & Raising Awareness
Christina Trapani, Eco Maniac Inc & Marine Debris Researcher
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Designing Successful Projects for Reducing Marine Debris -- A Panel of Funders
Moderator: Donna Morrow, Program Manager, Center for Marine & Coastal Stewardship, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Fishing For Energy
Kaity Goldsmith, Manager of Marine Conservation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
NOAA Marine Debris Program: Funding Opportunities
Jason Rolfe, Response Coordinator, NOAA Marine Debris Program
Kacey Wetzel, Director of Programs for Outreach & Education, Chesapeake Bay Trust
Presentation did not include PowerPoint
The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation
Angel Braestrup, Executive Director, The Curtis & Edith Munson Foundation
Developing a Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Reduction Plan
Developing a Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan
Christy Kehoe, Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, NOAA Marine Debris, Program