Yale Professor Gaboury Benoit, center, and Peter Davis, New Haven Parks Department employee, collect trash at a site on the Mill River in the city’s Cherry Ann Park. The collection is part of Benoit’s CTSG-funded research project into the plastic trash cycle.

After a two-year planning process, the Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan is approved and ready for implementation. The development of the five-year plan was co-led by the Connecticut and New York Sea Grant programs, with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program and NOAA National Sea Grant. Individuals representing more than 50 academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, trade organizations, advocacy groups and county, state and federal agencies were actively involved in the planning, work groups and/or reviews.

The goals of the plan are to understand, prevent and mitigate the impacts of:

single-use plastic and other water/land-based consumer debris
abandoned and lost fishing/aquaculture gear
microplastics and microfibers

Between 2022 and 2027, volunteer partners will strive to implement actions outlined for each goal. The plan facilitates old and new partnerships and collaborations to support both ongoing and new actions, as resources are available. Annual progress reports will provide a comprehensive picture of the progress achieved through 1) prevention, education and outreach; 2) research assessment, attention to wildlife impacts and monitoring; 3) proper disposal and infrastructure; 4) removal and/or source reduction and 5) policy and management.

Participants in the Long Island Sound Mentor Teacher Workshop at SUNY Maritime in the Bronx in September 2024 collected an abandoned lobster trap and several bags and buckets of trash at a beach cleanup. Photo: NY Sea Grant

Marine Debris News

LIS Marine Debris Action Plan

Read the Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan

Action Plan Progress Report

For a copy of the Long Island Sound Marine Debris Action Plan May 2022-April 2023 Progress Report contact Associate Director Nancy Balcom.

LIS Marine Debris Action Plan Team:

Connecticut Sea Grant:

Nancy Balcom, CT Sea Grant co-lead: nancy.balcom@uconn.edu
Juliana Barrett
Judy Benson
Sylvain De Guise
Syma Ebbin
Diana Payne
Judy Preston

New York Sea Grant:

Kathy Bunting-Howarth, NY Sea Grant co-lead:keb264@cornell.edu; www.nyseagrant.org/marinedebris
Kathleen Fallon
Paul Focazio
Jimena Beatriz Perez-Vascasillas
Rebecca Shuford

NOAA Marine Debris Program:

Northeast Regional and Mid-Atlantic Regional coordinators

A young woman picks up trash at a public park on Long Island Sound.

For more information on the NOAA Marine Debris Program:

Northeast region

Mid-Atlantic region

Relevant Resources:

International Coastal Cleanup Data

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Microplastics Database and Map Portal