NOAA Marine Debris Program – Alaska Sea Grant

Fishing up marine debris with the Fosses

By Tom Moran | April 14, 2026

A man in a blue raincoat, orange gloves and black rubber suspenders - fishing gear - stands atop a fishing boat next to a giant plastic bag full of garbage. Another bag is below him.

In a typical summer, Sitka fisherman Jacquie Foss and her family travel hundreds of miles around Southeast Alaska, averaging only eight miles an hour. While their profession affords them countless…

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…

Plastic Free July: Fishermen take action for cleaner coasts

By Alice van Veenendaal | July 16, 2025

Group of volunteers collecting marine debris in large bags on a sandy beach in Alaska. Three boats are in the water behind them.

Plastic Free July is a global movement to reduce single-use plastics, much of which end up in streams, rivers, and oceans. In Alaska, we’re partnering with leaders in coastal communities…