Committed to cleaning the garbage patch

Is anyone in the federal government working on cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Yes, according to The Washington Post -- and the point person is Holly Bamford, director and chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Marine Debris Program.

The Post features Bamford in today's "Federal Player of the Week" feature.

NOAA's Marine Debris Program has set up 160 projects since Bamford came on board in 2005. In one, bins are provided at 16 East Coast ports where fishermen can dispose of their gear at no cost.

The item notes that Bamford is working with Joel Baker at the University of Washington in Tacoma, in researching microplastics in marine debris.

She told the newspaper, "... once we present our research on the degradation caused by litter and debris on our seafloors, on our beaches, and in our waterways, people will be more inclined to reduce, reuse and recycle a non-degradable item, which in turn reduces marine debris."