The 2-year proposed state Clean Marina Guide - Research, Update, Publication and Outreach Project seeks Request Amount to update the state’s Clean Marina Guide (CMG). The CMG, which has not been revised since 2007, targets owners and operators of Marina facilities and provides information on practices that reduce environmental impacts. In the 2023 edition of CMG, outdated information will be revised with the most current recommendations and research.

With the Executive Director as program Investigator, our organization’s interns will conduct public research in specific area’s coastal communities. Interns will identify and develop CMG targeted partnerships with harbormasters, anglers, boaters, commercial and recreational fishing industries, and other relevant organizations within these communities that will commit to sharing information about their operations and implement the best preventative practices as outlined in the CMG. Our organization interns will also identify and develop community partnerships with nonprofits and libraries to foster general public engagement in marine debris prevention via field trips to marinas and coastal areas, forums and presentations, marketing campaigns, and more. Digital content creators will be hired to create promotional media with partners, using the CMG and our organization’s research as a guide. The digital media will unite the stories of our’s partner organizations, working separately but together towards a cleaner and healthier ocean. Created media will be used for virtual and in-person presentations to educate coastal communities about preventing marine debris.

Project outcomes include:

1. An updated state Clean Marina Guide

2. Increased distribution of the CMG, as measured by download tracking

3. Targeted educational content for CMG partners and community partners

4. Change of behavior in marina communities towards best management practices, as measured by Key Performance Indicators (KPI) established with CMG partnerships

5. Impactful media campaign, as measured by engagement and reach

6. Grassroots engagement in MDP, measured by tracking attendance at public events

7. Inclusive educational opportunities for underserved populations

8. An informative public-facing Digital Media product that can be used after the projects end on a wider scale

Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Based on the state’s Department of Education statistics, our organization has selected target communities by reviewing school demographics that comprise of over 50% of students from economically disadvantaged households, over 20% of students that are English language learners, and over 7% of students have diagnosed disabilities.

We will collaborate with youth-centered nonprofits within these communities (i.e YMCA and Boys & Girls Club) to implement educational programs on sustainable practices that prevent post-consumer marine debris. These underserved populations will also have the opportunity to learn about marine debris prevention from the perspective of the CMG partners in order to increase inclusion at local coastal sites, such as marinas. Within marinas, employees who come from, or are in the economically disadvantaged segment, will have access to professional learning opportunities from the targeted educational content developed from the CMG.

Organization has committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) since its founding as the organization hires diverse and qualified interns for professional learning opportunities. Currently, 78.3% of the organization interns identify as female, 37.4% identify as an ethnic minority, 12.8% of interns identify as being part of the lower-middle class, 3% identify as being part of the lower class, and interns/volunteers range from 17 years old to 75 years old. Our organization will continue to commit to JEDI practices and use grant funds to hire a project team that is diverse in social-economic status, age, gender, and ethnicity.