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.

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.

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.

Delaware is known for having some of the highest-quality beaches in the nation because of our commitment to water cleanliness and shoreline nourishment.

Delaware's beaches are a major draw in the summertime for people who live in the surrounding areas for vacation and recreational opportunities.

DNREC works to protect and enhance eroding beaches to enable continued protective and recreational use through science-based dune and beach management practices, such as: nourishing eroding beaches, planting beach grass to promote dune growth, and fencing dunes to protect them from pedestrian traffic.

Waves and wind move sand around throughout the year. Vegetation can provide stability and capture sand at the base of the plant to allow the surface to incrementally rise, one grain at a time.