NOAA Marine Debris Removal Grants: How to Apply

November 5, 2025 · 5 min read

Jordan Valdez

The NOAA Marine Debris Program remains one of the most impactful federal funding streams for organizations working to clean up our coasts, waterways, and ocean environments. With over $54 million awarded in the most recent fiscal year cycle alone, competition is fierce but the opportunities are substantial. Having managed multiple NOAA marine debris grants totaling over $6 million and personally supervised more than 200 vessel removals across the Gulf Coast, I can tell you that what separates funded proposals from the rejection pile often comes down to a few critical details.

Here is what you need to know about the current funding landscape and how to position your next application for success.

Understanding the Current Funding Landscape

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated nearly $3 billion to NOAA across five years, and marine debris removal has been a major beneficiary. In FY2025, the Marine Debris Program awarded 13 new projects totaling over $26.4 million in federal funding. These awards spanned everything from abandoned vessel extraction in New York City harbors to derelict lobster trap recovery in Long Island Sound and large-scale vessel removals across the Pacific Islands.

Two distinct funding competitions make up the bulk of available dollars:

Marine Debris Removal received up to $47 million in the most recent cycle. This track prioritizes large-scale removal projects focused on abandoned and derelict vessels, derelict fishing gear, and debris that cannot be collected by hand. If your project involves heavy equipment, dive teams, or specialized marine salvage, this is your track.

Interception Technologies received up to $7 million. This track funds the installation, monitoring, and maintenance of proven debris capture systems, including litter traps, booms, skimmers, floating collection devices, and shoreline removal technologies. The key word here is "proven." NOAA is not funding R&D through this mechanism. They want technologies with a demonstrated track record.

Who Is Eligible to Apply

Eligibility is broad, which is both an opportunity and a challenge. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, tribal governments, nonprofits, educational institutions, and for-profit organizations. Projects must be located within coastal areas of the United States, the Great Lakes, U.S. territories, or Freely Associated States.

One detail that trips up first-time applicants: you cannot submit through Grants.gov without three active registrations (SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and NOAA's eRA system). The registration process can take several weeks, so if you are even considering applying in a future cycle, start your registrations now.

What Makes a Winning Application

After reviewing dozens of successful and unsuccessful proposals over the years, certain patterns emerge consistently.

Quantify the Problem and Your Solution

NOAA reviewers want specifics. Do not say "we will remove marine debris from the harbor." Say "we will remove an estimated 480,000 pounds of marine debris including 9,000 derelict lobster traps from a 12-square-mile area of Long Island Sound." That level of precision signals operational maturity.

Demonstrate Removal Capacity

The funded projects in FY2025 all had one thing in common: credible operational plans. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation secured over $2.3 million by detailing how they would remove 24 abandoned vessels and an estimated one million pounds of debris from high-traffic areas. They did not just describe the problem. They described their equipment, personnel, staging areas, disposal plans, and timeline.

Show Community and Partner Engagement

Every strong proposal I have seen includes letters of support from relevant agencies, commercial fishermen, port authorities, tribal governments, or community organizations affected by the debris. NOAA explicitly prioritizes projects developed with inclusive practices that engage diverse community groups including tribes and underserved communities.

Build In Monitoring and Reporting

This is where many proposals lose points. NOAA wants to know how you will measure success beyond just tonnage removed. What are the ecological outcomes? How will you monitor habitat recovery? What data will you contribute back to the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project? Build these components into your budget and timeline from the start.

Critical Timeline Considerations

The FY2025 cycle required Letters of Intent months before full applications were due, and late submissions were not accepted under any circumstances. For the removal track, LOIs were due in early fall 2024, with full applications due January 31, 2025. The interception technologies track had full applications due February 7, 2025.

If you are targeting FY2026 funding, watch the NOAA Marine Debris Program funding opportunities page and the Grants.gov listings closely starting in mid-2026. Sign up for NOAA Marine Debris Program email alerts so you do not miss the announcement window.

Navigating the Budget Uncertainty

The federal funding landscape has seen significant turbulence. The administration's FY2026 budget proposal initially called for deep cuts to NOAA, including reductions to the National Ocean Service that oversees the Marine Debris Program. However, Congress pushed back forcefully. The final appropriations bill funded NOAA at approximately $6.1 billion, largely preserving existing program levels and rejecting the most severe proposed cuts.

For grant applicants, this means the money is still flowing, but you should not take future funding cycles for granted. If you have a strong project concept, the time to apply is now rather than waiting for conditions to stabilize further.

Getting Started on Your Proposal

The best marine debris proposals I have worked on started 6 to 12 months before the application deadline. That lead time allows you to conduct site assessments, secure partner commitments, obtain preliminary permits, and develop realistic cost estimates.

Start by identifying a specific, well-documented debris problem in your region. Partner with local agencies and community groups. Develop a detailed operational plan with clear metrics. And make sure your Grants.gov and SAM.gov registrations are current.

Tools like Granted can help you build a stronger grant proposal, from analyzing NOFO requirements to drafting compelling project narratives.

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