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Admiring Michigan's Inland Waterway leading out to Lake Huron (Credit: Haley Dalian).
  Dear Great Lakes community,
“Wintering” or “Springter” is in full swing across the Great Lakes Basin—one day the sun is shining while pedestrians walk in shorts, and the next there's a blanket of fresh snow on the frozen ground. Assuredly, two things remain constant here regardless of a groundhog's prophecy: the beauty of our four seasons region and the persistence of marine debris throughout.
This newsletter is full of upcoming external funding opportunities and many reasons to stay invested in our shared mission, no matter the season! Thank you for subscribing, and please consider sharing this newsletter with a friend.
Onward,
Haley Dalian Great Lakes Regional Coordinator
 Unusual Beach Finds and
How To Monitor Your Local Shoreline
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During a recent marine debris survey of Lake Erie’s shoreline at Port Clinton Beach, Ohio, the team discovered an unusual case: corn kernels everywhere.
While corn kernels do not meet the definition of marine debris, there are many common household items and other oddities that do. To discover this variety of Great Lakes marine debris firsthand and lend a helping hand in the process, consider surveying a shoreline near you using NOAA's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, or MDMAP.
Corn litters a Lake Erie beach (Credit: Basia G.).
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MDMAP is NOAA’s flagship initiative to measure the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines. Using this standardized collection method, suite of helpful resources, and publicly available data, participants and volunteers can detect differences in marine debris over time, inspire prevention efforts, and inform education and outreach. MDMAP is also a great opportunity to get outside and get to know your local shorelines!
Click here to learn more and get started with shoreline surveying today.
 Highlights from the Completed
Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan
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The Great Lakes Marine Debris Action Plan is a collaborative and voluntary effort across the marine debris community in the Great Lakes. From 2020-2025, 39 partners from the United States and Canada tackled marine debris through 47 coordinated actions. During this time, partners addressed 91.5% of the actions within the goals of Research and Monitoring; Policy and Management; Prevention; and Removal.
Here are just some examples of the meaningful work that the action plan partners led and accomplished:
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- Publishing research studies on the fate and transport of Great Lakes debris
- Developing a region-wide campaign to encourage reusable water bottle use
- Removing 389,900 pounds (176.86 metric tons) of debris from the environment while engaging 24,698 volunteers
The region is now charting a course for the development of the next action plan.
If you represent an organization, academic institution, government agency, community group, or business that would like to participate in the future plan, please email marine.debris.great.lakes@noaa.gov.
National Abandoned and Derelict Vessel
Database Launched
An ADV is hoisted out of the water at the Makah Tribal Marina in WA (Credit: National Marine Sanctuary Foundation).
The BoatUS Foundation has launched the first national database to track abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) across the United States, supporting coordinated removal and prevention efforts. Developed in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program through a 2023 award, the database helps identify vessel locations and track progress toward cleaner, safer waterways.
Click here to discover the new database.
Over 922 vessel reports have already been submitted from boaters and other coastal stewards across the country. Click here to report a vessel to help BoatUS Foundation gather information in your community. Anyone can report a vessel to the database, and you don't need an account to submit a report.
Presenters Sought for BoatUS Foundation’s
Turning the Tide Summit
Turning the Tide Summit 2026 (Credit: BoatUS Foundation).
The BoatUS Foundation is now seeking presenters for the 2026 Turning the Tide Summit, an in-person conference addressing the challenges of abandoned and direct vessel removal, taking place December 6-9, 2026 in New Orleans.
The Turning the Tide Summit is open to environmental experts, boating enthusiasts, environmental agency staff, policymakers, and industry leaders. Attendees will have access to resources, panel discussions, and keynote addresses that focus on ADVs and sustainable disposal solutions for boating-related waste, including fiberglass and shrink-wrap.
Do you want to share your vision, expertise, and insights about ADVs? If so, submit your presentation for consideration. Presenter applications are due June 1, 2026.
Click here to learn more and apply to present.
Courses, Contests, Grants, and Events
~ Opportunities from the Great Lakes Marine Debris Community ~
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International Joint Commission Great Lakes Photo Contest
Do you have a phone full of snapshots of life in the Great Lakes region? Submit your photos to the International Joint Commission’s (IJC) Great Lakes Photo Showcase to share how you live, work, and play in the Great Lakes basin.
There are three photo categories for the showcase.
- Recreation
- Research, Education & Science
- Great Lakes Water in Action
Photos will be accepted on a rolling basis through mid-2026. Winning submissions will be featured on the IJC’s homepage, social media platforms, and incorporated into the IJC’s upcoming assessment report on Great Lakes water quality. The top 10 photos, selected by public voting, will be featured in a Great Lakes postcard set.
Deadline: Rolling until mid-2026 | Click here to learn more.
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Request for Preproposals: Great Lakes Protection Fund
The Great Lakes Protection Fund is accepting submissions for its 2026 Request for Proposals: A Call for People, Ideas, and Projects. The Fund expects to invest approximately $4 million in new, team-based projects that design, test, and deploy new building blocks for the future of the Great Lakes—strengthening the region’s waters, communities, and regional economy.
The Fund is particularly interested in projects that advance solutions in three areas:
- Alternative uses for less productive agricultural land
- New operating models for high-water-use industries
- Actionable pathways to address emerging contaminants
Deadline: March 18, 2026 | Click here to learn more.
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New York’s Great Lakes Basin Small Grants Program
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and New York Sea Grant have $200,000 in funding available for projects benefiting New York’s Great Lakes basin by demonstrating the application of ecosystem-based management approaches to local watershed challenges. Those eligible to apply include municipalities, Indian Nations, not-for-profit organizations, regional planning councils, soil and water conservation districts, and educational institutions.
Deadline: March 27, 2026 | Click here to learn more.
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Attention Educators: Great Lakes Watershed Field Course
The Great Lakes Watershed Field Course is a yearlong collaboration with the Inland Seas Education Association that includes a four-day, in-person professional development experience in Suttons Bay, Michigan, and ongoing support during the 2026-2027 school year for teachers to engage their students in environmental projects.
The training includes watershed and environmental concepts, place-based education and environmental education pedagogy, and time for curriculum development. The field course workshop will take place August 4-7, 2026.
Deadline: April 13, 2026 | Click here to learn more.
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Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference
Co-hosted by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, the 2026 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference will be on April 28-29, 2026. It’s a hybrid event with the in-person portion at the I Hotel and Conference Center in Champaign, IL. The conference will feature traditional 15-minute presentations and a poster session on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies, and outreach in the soil, water, and air.
Researchers, educators, businesses, government officials, regulatory agencies, policymakers, outreach and extension professionals, environmental groups, members of the general public, and medical, veterinary, and public health professionals are encouraged to attend. There will be plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking with those interested in all aspects of emerging environmental contaminants.
Registration closes April 13, 2026 | Click here to learn more.
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Chicago Harbor Cleanup and Water Reflection Walk
The Great Lakes Sailing School is celebrating Earth Day by hosting a community cleanup and walk to give back to the shared environment. Help clean up Chicago's Montrose Harbor and nearby park while connecting with neighbors, enjoying fresh air, and making a positive environmental impact. This is a family-friendly, free event, and volunteers of all ages are welcome. All cleanup supplies will be provided.
April 22, 2026, 5:00-7:00 PM | Click here to learn more.
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Notice of Funding: Lake Erie Community Grants
The Ohio Lake Erie Commission is offering funding through the Lake Erie Community Grant to support projects that protect and improve environmental issues in the Lake Erie watershed. The program is funded through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and was awarded to the Ohio Lake Erie Commission in 2024 under the Great Lakes Community Projects Program. The grant program is designed to help create healthy, thriving communities by providing resources and support to address local environmental challenges.
Deadline: April 30, 2026 | Click here to learn more.
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Call for Proposals: National Beach Summit in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and the Great Lakes Beach Association invite speakers to present at the National Beach Summit in Traverse City, MI on October 27-30, 2026. The Summit will bring together researchers, beach managers and owners, and local, state, federal, provincial, and tribal governments to explore how new technology is transforming beach monitoring and the way results are shared with the public. The summit will also cover long-term strategies to improve beaches such as stormwater management, remediation designs, citizen science, and communication coordination.
Presenters of selected abstracts should expect to be contacted in June 2026. Selected presenters will receive a discounted rate to attend the full conference.
Abstract Deadline: May 3, 2026 | Click here to learn more.
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Grants for Community Stormwater Filtration Devices
With funding from the Michigan-based Dart Container Corporation, the Council of the Great Lakes Region is offering a grant to help communities purchase, install and monitor innovative stormwater filtration systems designed to capture and prevent land-based plastic litter, oil, and sediment from entering our waterways. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Deadline: Rolling basis | Click here to learn more.
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Call for Proposals: National Sea Grant Law Center Program
The National Sea Grant Law Center is accepting proposals for small-scale research projects that seek to address timely or pressing legal questions related to ocean, coastal, or Great Lakes law. This funding is intended to support emerging research needs or innovative pilot research projects that may eventually develop into larger, full-scale research projects. They are also intended to help a Sea Grant program build legal capacity by generating legal research findings that can be incorporated into extension, education, and communication programming.
Letters of Intent for one-year projects will be accepted on a rolling basis through August 1, 2026. Full proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis through October 1, 2026. Requests for Program Development funds are limited to a maximum request of $10,000 and a one-year project period.
Initial Deadline: August 1, 2026 | | |
