The Department of State’s Marine Debris Art Challenge

http://marinedebrisblog.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/the-department-of-states-marine-debris-art-challenge/

The Department of State’s Marine Debris Art Challenge
December 23, 2013 by NOAA Marine Debris Program

By: Kelly Cohun, Dave Gershman and Kira Vuille-Kowing

One person’s trash can be another person’s treasure – or an art project, 
in this case. This fall, the Department of State’s Bureau of Oceans and 
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) teamed up with 
U.S. Embassies and Consulates around the world for the Marine Debris Art 
Challenge, elevating international awareness of marine debris for the 
annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) on September 21. Embassies 
and Consulates hosted cleanups and worked with local communities to 
clean up the coast and, at the same time, turn salvaged material into 
art projects.

In addition to the traditional target of the International Coastal 
Cleanup – beaches – many Embassies and Consulates organized cleanups of 
waterways, river and stream banks, harborside areas, and even on the 
shores of ponds or lakes. Local schools, environmental organizations, 
outdoor recreation associations, and other community and civic groups 
worked side by side with U.S. diplomats to make their local marine or 
aquatic environment a cleaner place – and turned what would have been 
trash into art!

The Department of State’s Marine Debris Art Challenge