Our latest Partner Spotlight interview is with Katie Morgan of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. Read on to learn more about Katie and the important work her program is doing in our region.
What is your name?
Katie Morgan
What is your work title/organization you work for?
Mid-Atlantic Regional Coordinator, NOAA Marine Debris Program (contractor with Lynker)
What are the most fun and the most challenging parts of your job?
Every day is a different journey for me, which is both fun and challenging at times! On any given day I could be providing technical oversight of grant funded projects that are working to remove large-scale marine debris from coastal waterways; speaking with K-12 students on plastics and marine debris prevention; leading meetings for groups participating in the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan; responding to any number of requests that come in from the public, other agencies, and organizations across the region looking for insight or support on marine debris efforts; participating in technical working groups on microplastics or abandoned and derelict vessels; and much more. There is so much great work going on in the Mid-Atlantic region, which keeps me busy!
Can you tell us more about the NOAA Marine Debris Program?
Of course! The NOAA Marine Debris Program was authorized by Congress in 2006 as the U.S. Federal government’s lead for addressing marine debris. The NOAA Marine Debris Program achieves its mission through six main pillars of work: prevention, removal, research, monitoring and detection, response, and coordination. There are staff positioned all across the country (including me in the Mid-Atlantic!) in order to support projects and partnerships with state and local agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry.
You mentioned coordinating the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan is part of your role at the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Can you tell us more about that?
The Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan) was developed by nearly 100 organizations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, as a collaborative approach to address marine debris at the regional level. The Action Plan identifies four common goals and 55 unique actions that were collectively identified as priorities for implementation between 2021 and 2026. The MARCO marine debris workgroup is a participant to the action plan, helping lead several actions including one focused on the prevention of intentional balloon releases.
How do regional organizations like MARCO enhance the effectiveness of marine debris mitigation efforts?
Marine debris is a transboundary issue shared throughout the Mid-Atlantic region despite vast differences in geographic expanse, communities, state and local governments, legislation, and marine and coastal habitats. MARCO, as a partnership of the Governors of the five Mid-Atlantic states, helps foster inter-agency coordination throughout the region, which is valuable for issues such as marine debris. While each state may have unique and specific issues related to marine debris driven by their geographies, populations, and economies; there are commonalities as well, and where those commonalities exist, MARCO provides a key opportunity to explore shared solutions.
Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for further collaboration between the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan community and MARCO?
The MARCO marine debris workgroup provides an incredible forum for information sharing and problem solving. In particular, the unique ability to bring together state agencies from across the region to identify and address shared challenges from a regional perspective is highly beneficial. The marine debris workgroup has partnered on several actions in the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan, and in the coming years, will continue to collaborate particularly on efforts related to public outreach and engagement.
Can you describe your experience in building and maintaining partnerships with various stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector, to tackle marine debris problems?
Part of my role with the NOAA Marine Debris Program is to support the organizations throughout the region who are implementing actions in the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Action Plan. With over 100 participating organizations, this Action Plan fosters partnership across local, state and federal agencies; nonprofits; academia; and the private sector. On a regular basis, I am working to connect folks throughout the region working on shared topics of interest, speaking with groups who have marine debris issues in their communities and are seeking solutions, and helping bridge information silos in order to drive forward cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary and comprehensive solution sets for the broad issue of marine debris.
Communication and public engagement are critical for raising awareness about marine debris issues. How do you engage with the public and stakeholders to foster a deeper understanding of marine debris?
I frequently interface with the public and various organizations and groups who are interested in learning more about marine debris. That includes speaking at professional conferences; engaging with a wide range of school groups (from our littlest elementary school learners all the way to graduate-level students), participating in meetings organized by community groups, tabling at festivals and events, and responding to inquiries from concerned members of the public. It also includes coordinating with various different sectors – such as fisheries or waste interception – to understand challenges and opportunities in marine debris prevention and mitigation from a regional perspective.
Can you share any specific ideas or innovative approaches you bring or would like to bring to your role as a partner of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean to further advance marine debris management in the region?
I have a unique role in the Mid-Atlantic region, given my entire work portfolio is focused on the specific topic of marine debris, and I work across a five states and D.C.. I spend each day solely focused on plastics, derelict fishing gear, abandoned and derelict vessels, and more. Given my topical focus area is narrowed in to the specific priorities of the workgroup, I bring deep knowledge and expertise of the technical aspects of marine debris, a broad viewpoint on the issues that span the entire region, as well as a national perspective and understanding of what is happening in other parts of the country. I aim to help bridge information silos, connect groups and issues that otherwise might remain focused within singular states or smaller geographic locations, and advance knowledge transfer with the goal of preventing and mitigating the harmful impacts of marine debris on the regional environment and economy.