shoreline monitoring

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce the launch of the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project Nationwide Survey, conducted in partnership with 1stMission LLC, and made possible with funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The NOAA Marine Debris Program created the Guide to MDMAP for Educators as a resource for educators who are interested in implementing MDMAP surveys with their students. The Guide provides instructions and tips for participating in MDMAP and planning, conducting, and following up on monitoring surveys with student groups. Understanding where, how much, and what kinds of debris are present in the marine environment is important to help combat the problem. This knowledge, along with an understanding of how the amount of marine debris on shorelines is changing over time, is essential to developing new and effective strategies for prevention, education, and outreach. 

The NOAA Marine Debris Program has all of the tools to engage partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.

Marine debris is a familiar sight on shorelines around the world, and a reminder that there is still work to be done to tackle this global environmental problem. While we know a lot about marine debris, there are questions that can help test and identify the best solutions. How much marine debris is on our shores? What kind of debris is it, and where does it come from? Are these things changing over time? You can help find the answers through NOAA’s Marine Debris Program Monitoring and Assessment Project! An updated Monitoring Toolbox contains all of the resources you need to get started.

Put on your flip-flops and let’s head to the beach! This week we are celebrating Clean Beaches Week and all of the great work our Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) participants are doing.

Since beginning in 2012, the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) has brought forth invaluable data, which continues to increase our shared knowledge of marine debris. Partners from around the world have contributed to this dataset by conducting 4,421 surveys at 335 monitoring sites in nine countries. The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) coordinates these efforts, which would not be possible without the dedication of MDMAP partners who lead the charge in collecting data through their passion for the ocean. Both new and experienced MDMAP partner organizations and volunteers contribute time, energy, and resources to expand our understanding of this global issue.

Marine debris is unfortunately an all too frequent sight on our coastlines. A common misconception is that all shoreline debris was left behind by beachgoers. In fact, debris makes its was to the beach from many different sources, including the sea, stormwater runnoff, wind, and nearby river or stream outlets. If you spend time exploring shorelines in different regions, you may notice that the types and amounts of debris are different from place to place (and constantly changing!).

Have you ever wondered how much marine debris is on the shoreline of the United States, or what areas of the country have the most debris? What about the most common types of debris in different regions of the United States? These are a few of the questions that were answered by analyzing data from the Ocean Conservancy’s 30-year International Coastal Cleanup, as well as five years’ worth of data from NOAA's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project.  The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded a rigorous statistical analysis of both datasets performed by the Ocean Conservancy (OC), together with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). We are now pleased to share these exciting results!