Early bird tickets are on sale now for this year’s North Carolina Marine Debris Symposium to take place Oct. 12-14 at Duke University Marine Lab on Pivers Island in Beaufort.
Coastal Carolina Riverwatch hosts the annual symposium that brings together marine debris and plastic pollution prevention stakeholders to discuss recent research, infrastructure best management practices, policy development, removal projects, and advocacy that prevents plastic pollution. Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, based in Morehead City, works to protect 320 miles of rivers and streams, 140,104 acres of estuaries and 129 miles of coastline.
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Organizers are offering in-person and virtual options. Early bird tickets to attend are $100, and $50 for live-stream access. Riverwatch members can attend for $75 or livestream for $35. These prices will change Sept. 1. Student tickets are $35. Register online at Coastal Carolina Riverwatch.
“We are thrilled to be hosting the NC Marine Debris Symposium at the Duke University Marine Laboratory here in coastal NC. We hope that this forum will continue to lead the progress of marine debris prevention in the State of North Carolina,” said Lisa Rider, creator of the symposium and Coastal Carolina Riverwatch executive director.
“At CCRW, we prioritize work based on research and voices from the community. Plastic pollution is a top priority for our service area and CCRW has taken action by participating in watershed-based microplastic research, installation of capture and removal devices, supporting collaborative programming in our service area, facilitating prioritized policy development and advocacy that supports research and prevention,” Rider continued.
This year’s event will be facilitated by symposium alumni, Heather Cashwell, program manager of waste reduction and recycling at North Carolina State University.
Speakers on this year’s agenda include leaders from Plastic Ocean Project, Duke University Marine Lab, North Carolina State University, Nort Carolina Sea Grant, Duke Law and Policy Clinic, North Carolina Coastal Federation, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Coastal Carolina Riverwatch, and others, including industry and consumer product designers.
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“The NC Marine Debris Symposium is a special collaborative space where all are welcome and everyone is a stakeholder,” Bonnie Monteleone, executive director of the Plastic Ocean Project, said in a statement.
