The BoatU.S. Foundation recently launched a national database to track ADVs. Can you tell me more about that?
MICHAEL MOORE: The Foundation’s ADV database is a digital platform where anyone – municipalities and governments, nonprofits, and regular citizens – can submit information about ADVs in any body of water in the U.S., its territories, and Freely Associated States. The database is hosted by MyCoast, which allows organizations and governments to collect many types of data and engage with citizens on issues like flooding, restoration projects, and environmental hazards.
What are ADVs, and why are they a problem?
M.M: An ADV is a vessel that is both derelict – unseaworthy due to neglect – and abandoned by an owner unwilling or unable to remove or dispose of it. ADVs can be abandoned without being derelict and, the most complicated, derelict without being abandoned, such as vessels at anchor with no working engines. These often pose navigational and environmental hazards.
What causes ADVs?
M.M: Common reasons include the high cost of boat disposal, a lack of options for end-of-life removal and recycling, and lack of affordable housing for their owners who have been living aboard. Extreme weather events and accidents also contribute to ADVs.
Why did the Foundation create this database?
M.M: It’s part of the 2023 Marine Debris Program grant awarded to the nonprofit BoatU.S. Foundation by NOAA to help remove ADVs from coastal and Great Lakes waterways. Before the database was launched last November, there was no central location for reporting and tracking ADVs. Some states and municipalities have their own local databases or reports, but most aren’t public-facing or widely searchable. Our database is the first national ADV tracking platform. It allows for consistency in reporting so we can compare apples to apples when looking at the data. It also allows for citizens to make reports directly.
The overall goal of our database is to bring awareness to the ADV problem so there is a desire for states as well as the federal government to take on the issue and help provide solutions, such as writing new – or better – laws to help prevent recurring ADVs or setting aside more funding to assist in problem areas. We also believe it will encourage more and easier solutions for disposal as well as sustainable disposal options to keep fiberglass and composite boats out of landfills.
Are ADVs more prevalent in coastal areas, or are they in all waterways?
M.M: Based on current information and research, we know that ADVs are more prevalent in communities that are closer to or on the coast because there are simply more boats in those areas, but they can be found in all waterways. We know ADVs tend to concentrate in places that are more prone to weather events, like hurricanes. In general, higher concentrations of abandoned vessels are most often found in rural and indigent communities, but they also can be found in large quantities in marinas.
So is the database only for reporting ADVs in coastal and Great Lakes waters, or can any ADVs be reported?
M.M: ADVs can be reported anywhere in the U.S., U.S. territories, and Freely Associated States – saltwater, freshwater, lakes, ponds. The grant focuses on removing boats from areas designated as a NOAA Trust Resource, which means coastal waterways and the Great Lakes, but the database is open to all reports.
What will the data be used for?
M.M: The data we collect will help identify areas with ADV problems as well as the scope of the problem. Eventually, it will lead to tracking prevention and removal efforts and will help us to better understand the scope and underlying causes of the issue so we can work with states and communities to address and prevent it.
The database has several uses. Obviously, boaters may want to know about any ADVs in their home waters. In addition, it can alert local, state, and federal governments of these hazards. Communities with significant numbers of ADVs can use the overall data to identify where hot spots are located, any commonalities of those locations, and eventually track removal and prevention efforts.
How many listings are in the database?
M.M: As of mid-February, already there have been 1,010 reports coming from all over – state agencies, nonprofits, and citizens alike. We anticipate that number will climb as this year’s boating season starts for the majority of the country.
How can someone report an ADV?
M.M: Visit BoatUS.org/database or download the MyCoast.org App for iOS or Android.