Springfield, Virginia, U.S.A.-based nonprofit BoatUS Foundation is reinforcing a call to action for cleaning up abandoned vessels.
According to a release by the boating organization, vessels that are abandoned on waterways cause significant environmental and economic damage. The vessels can crush seagrass and coral habitats, leak pollutants such as fuel and oil, block navigation channels and disrupt other boaters, and put other vessels at risk when navigating around. Economically, removal costs for abandoned vessels average USD 24,000 (EUR 20,793).
In 2023, the nonprofit received grant funding from NOAA's Marine Debris Program to remove abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs) across eight states and territories. The grant funding also supports BoatUS’s upcoming Turning the Tides Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.A. on 6-9 December. At the summit, industry leaders will share ways to sustainably dispose of ADVs.
BoatUS Foundation previously sought USD 7.5 million (EUR 6.4 million) in grants to remove ADVs across the U.S. to aid in areas requesting removal assistance. The nonprofit organization allowed projects ranging from USD 50,000-1 million (EUR 43,320-866,400) to apply for financial assistance, with federal and foundational support. In June 2026, BoatUS Foundation received additional grant funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Interior for USD 4.1 million (EUR 3.5 million).
NOAA is accepting hurricane response marine debris removal funding, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NWF). Proposals can include requests for up to USD 11 million (EUR 9.5 million) in grant funding across Florida, Georgia, Guam, North Carolina, and South Carolina. These areas were impacted by Hurricanes Isalia, Helene, Milton, and Typhoon Mawar; proposals may be submitted until 21 October. According to CBS News, Hurricane Ian ravaged Florida in 2022, with Florida's Fish and Wildlife Commission counting more than 700 derelict boats along the Gulf Coast in its wake.
BoatUS Foundation also runs an online national database to track ADVs in the U.S., U.S. Territories, and Freely Associated States, the company said in a release. The platform, called MyCoast, aims to assist ADV clean-up efforts with a user-friendly platform available on mobile devices. Users can take a picture of the ADV and submit it via browser. The platform then retrieves weather and tidal information and sends that data to coastal leaders and groups to determine next steps. According to MyCoast, 1,411 vessels have been identified in the U.S. along every coastline through the ADV reporting database system.
"By reporting and tracking ADVs on a national scale, we’re hopeful the database will help to better understand the issue, work with states and communities to address it, and track efforts being made with the intention of providing solutions," the company said in a release.
With cooler temperatures approaching and the end of boating season near, BoatUS Foundation said the renewed call to action for boaters to report ADVs and support programs working in this arena is as important as ever for ecological conservation efforts.
"No waterway community is exempt or safe from ADVs and boating-related waste," BoatUS Foundation Director of Outreach Alanna Keating said in a release. "We all have the power to protect our waterways, and this summit is one significant way people can learn from each other, network and share solutions for taking real action that can benefit their communities for years to come."
