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A shoreline survey team makes sure all of the field datasheets are completed (Photo: Ocean Conservancy).
We are on a mission with our partners and volunteers to monitor debris on shorelines around the world.
When we face tough marine debris questions, we rely on citizen scientists to help us find the answers. Volunteers who contribute data to the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project help us fill in the gaps and understand what kind of debris is out there, where it’s coming from, and how we can stop it at its source.
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Started in 2012, the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project has over 330 monitoring sites in 9 countries. Some of the top ten debris items found by volunteers include plastic fragments that are hard, foamed, and film, as well as plastic rope, glass, and metal.
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Island Trails Network and Kodiak area volunteers use MDMAP to gather marine debris accumulation data on local beaches (Photo: NOAA).
Our partners commit their time, energy, and resources to increase our understanding of marine debris on shorelines. Our partners at NOAA's Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Island Trails Network, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and more are working to remove and collect data on marine debris.
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What's Inside the MDMAP Get Started Toolbox?
Want to contribute to our marine debris efforts? Open up the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Toolbox and see what’s inside to help you get started!
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The large fishing vessel, Lady Carolina, grounded in a lagoonal reef off the coast of Saipan (Photo: T. Willsey).
Large marine debris can create even larger problems! It can threaten our ocean, coasts, and waterways by obstructing navigational channels, causing harm to important habitat, and diminishing commercial and recreational activities. Our partners are working around the country and in the Pacific Islands to remove large and bulky debris, like abandoned and derelict vessels and construction materials.
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Volunteers hold up their marine debris haul, including Mardi Gras beads, during a cleanup at One Mile Creek (Photo: Mobile Baykeeper).
Agricultural waste, furniture, Mardi Gras beads, and other debris are threatening communities around the United States. Our partners at Save Our Shores, Mobile Baykeeper, and Prince George's County are working to tackle these debris for cleaner communities.
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Derelict gear and other debris is removed from an abandoned shellfish aquaculture site (Photo: North Carolina Coastal Federation).
Lost and discarded fishing gear is hazardous, and can be a difficult marine debris problem to address. Once lost, nets, lines, and traps can entangle wildlife, create major hazards to navigation, and damage sensitive and important habitats. Our partners, including Cornell Cooperative Extension, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, and the North Carolina Coastal Federation are working to tackle derelict fishing gear on the East Coast of the United States.
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