Alaska Center for Marine Debris

Cordova fishermen clean up the Copper River Delta

By Aubrey Taradash | December 16, 2025

A man stands astride a white ATV and a woman stands in a trailer behind it. The ATV has a large yellow plastic trash bag on it, while the trailer contains yellow trash bags and other debris.

The Copper River Delta hosts some of the most valuable fisheries in Alaska. However, the region lies at the edge of the Gulf of Alaska, where currents bring a seemingly…

Kotlik project works to clean up and reduce marine waste

By Alaska Sea Grant | November 24, 2025

Six workers in white hazmat gear and orange life jackets stand on the shore of a river. Several of the people are picking up trash. Debris litters the shore, including several large logs, pieces of waterlogged wood, and a large wooden platform. The shore is covered in tall grass and in the distance are the small houses and public buildings of the village of Kotlik.

Aubrey Taradash and Tom Moran contributed to this story. An old tarp or battery is generally not considered a prize haul. But such was the case in Kotlik, where a…