Program

ADV Grant

With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Marine Debris Program, we are offering a nationwide ADV Program for the removal and prevention of abandoned and derelict vessels.

Report An ADV

BoatUS Foundation’s ADV Grant Program

The BoatUS Foundation has been awarded a $10 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Marine Debris Program to administer a national competitive grant program for the removal of abandoned and derelict vessels (ADVs). The project components also include the development of a national database to track ADVs, outreach and education on the topics of ADVs and a national conference centered on exploring existing and emerging technologies and best practices for responsible and sustainable disposal of boating-related waste streams.

BoatUS Foundation is excited to be involved in this groundbreaking project. This is a new process for both BoatUS Foundation and the NOAA Marine Debris Program. We are working diligently to complete all components of the program. See below to learn more information about the program.


This project is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program.

  • What's Happening:

  • Grant Funding for ADV Removal

  • The awarded states, communities, organizations and programs include:
  • • Metlakatla Indian Community, Alaska
  • • City & Borough of Yakutat, Alaska
  • • Sitka Conservation Society, Alaska
  • • Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, Louisiana
  • • Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation, Washington
  • • State of Maine
  • • U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources
  • • North Carolina Coastal Federation
  • • Oregon Department of State Lands
  • • Port Authority of Guam

    • Application Criteria Information
  • ADV Database

    We are excited to announce that we have launched the ADV Reporting Database in partnership with NOAA. We will continuously be making improvements to the reporting system as needed to ensure its functionality and ease of use for those using it. We have been working with partners to develop the ADV database that works nationally, and we are very excited about it being accessible to the public.

  • Grant Reviewers

    The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water completed a competitive process in search of grant reviewers to evaluate proposals for the Abandoned and Derelict Vessel Removal grants program. Reviewers were represented from a variety of locations throughout the US and its territories and/or freely associated states.

    Learn More
  • Turning the Tide Online Virtual Summit

    Turning the Tide Online was a a three-day virtual summit held February 25-27, 2025 centered around exploring existing and emerging technologies and best practices for responsible and sustainable disposal of boating-related waste streams. The virtual summit focused on sustainable disposal solutions for fiberglass (such as that from Abandoned and Derelict Vessels) but also included other topics such as shrinkwrap, pyrotechnic flares, derelict fishing gear, contaminated plastics and debris caught in "trash interceptors".

    Presentations were included by a variety of individuals including academia, biologists, industry and business leaders involved in a variety of professional fields including waste and recycle, marine, technology, research, innovation and a variety of others.

    Couldn’t join us in real time for the summit? No worries! Recordings of sessions are available to registered attendees after the Summit ends.

    Stay tuned for more information on our in-person conference being held in New Orleans in 2026.

    Learn More