Did you know that any place you stand in the State of Delaware is usually within one mile of a wetland? Approximately 25% of the state today is covered by wetlands, but a lot of wetland area has been lost over time due to land conversion to farms and housing developments, storms, and sea level rise.

Every year, state, federal, and non-governmental organizations coordinate efforts to conduct a standardized spawning survey at select Delaware Bay beaches.

Aside from providing scenic vistas, serving recreational purposes, and fueling Delaware's ecotourism economy, wetlands have many other important functions. They clean and replenish our drinking waters, provide habitat and food for wildlife, absorb floodwaters, and protect our coasts from storm damage and sea level rise.

Although wetlands provide important ecosystem services, wetland management programs must compete with many other important issues for attention and funding from local stakeholders and decision-makers. Economic studies are often conducted to relay the value of services and resources provided by natural systems in dollar amounts.

Every year, billions of pounds of trash end up in the world's oceans, even making their way to areas of the earth that are uninhabited by humans.

Wondering how you can make a difference? There are many ways we can reduce our dependence on plastic and single-use items and help prevent debris from entering the ocean.

Marine debris can be any size from a boat or a dock that washed away in a storm, to a tiny particle that's hard to distinguish from a grain of sand.

Ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter less than 10 microns, particulate matter less than 2.5 microns, and lead are considered criteria pollutants because of their impact on human health and welfare.