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Now Open: NOAA Marine Debris Program Annual Art Contest!
Students in grades K-8 from the United States and U.S. territories can submit their artwork now through December 10th to be featured in our 2023 Marine Debris Calendar! So get crafty, get creative, and help us raise awareness about marine debris.
Learn more.
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Monk seal photo courtesy of Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Permit #848-1695 (Credit: Surfrider Foundation).
Submitted by: Lauren Blickley, Surfrider Foundation Hawai‘i Region
Surfrider Foundation's Hawai‘i Chapters have launched a project to catalog and reduce the number of hagfish traps washing up on Hawai'i coastlines. You can help by:
- Documenting and saving any hagfish traps that you find on the beach. Email hagfish@surfrider.org with the number of traps you collected and pictures of the traps.
- Sharing historical data of the number of hagfish traps your organization has removed from Hawaiʻi beaches.
- Forwarding this announcement to your West Coast contacts.
The more traps we collect and catalog, the better we can determine which specific fishery they are coming from and will inform next steps. You can learn more about the project at hawaii.surfrider.org/hagfish.
Tobacco use ban signage for Maui County (Credit: Pacific Whale Foundation).
Submitted by: Jens Currie, Pacific Whale Foundation
Pacific Whale Foundation is excited to share a new paper looking at the effectiveness of the 2014 policy (Bill 24), designed to reduce cigarette filter litter on beaches and parks in Maui, Hawai'i. Using a before–after control–impact (BACI) design, researchers investigated whether changes in cigarette filter accumulation at an impact site, where tobacco use was banned, decreased relative to cigarette filter counts at a control site, where tobacco use was not banned. The main findings were: (1) no significant differences in the number of cigarette filters after the policy went into place, (2) zero citations issued by Maui Police Department under this law. These results show that policy that requires a shift from social norms needs to be accompanied by enforcement and education in order to be effective.
Staff member, Mikaela Dibble-Kahn, recording debris items collected (Credit: MOC Marine Institute).
Submitted by: Tommy Cutt, Maui Ocean Center Marine Institute
In June, Maui Ocean Center (MOC) Marine Institute launched the Honu Hero Beach Cleanup Program to help engage the community on Maui in ocean conservation and ensure a healthy environment for future generations.
The program allows residents and visitors to Maui to take a hands-on approach to reduce ocean pollution while enjoying time with their family and friends at a time convenient with their schedule and a location of their choice.
One hundred thirteen individual groups participated in the program between June 13 and August 15 this summer, collecting 32,420 pieces of debris. Of the trash collected, 87.5% was made from plastic, and the most common item found was pieces of hard plastic.
Learn more by visiting our website at: http://mocmarineinstitute.org/honuhero/.
Plastic sheets created from repurposed marine debris (Credit: Parley for the Oceans).
Submitted by: Nicholas Schippers, Parley for the Oceans
In 5 months, the Parley AIR Station at Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, has engaged over 5,000 individuals with education and awareness on critical ocean issues. Visitors walk away with a better understanding of what they can do to take action at home and within their communities to tackle plastic pollution and climate change.
Recently the focus at the AIR Station has involved upcycling plastic collected from beaches throughout the Hawaiian Islands into sheets and bricks. To date we have produced 107 sheets and 46 bricks, repurposing an estimated 500 pounds of marine debris. The goal of these upcycling efforts is not to propose them as a solution to plastic pollution, but rather to inspire meaningful discussion and engagement around the issue. Virtual educational sessions are being offered to organized groups. To sign up for a virtual presentation regarding ocean health and plastic pollution, please email nicholas@parley.tv.
More information regarding the AIR Station can be found online at parley.tv/air-station-hawaii.
Word art matrix of the Hawai'i Wildlife Fund debris inventory study (Credit: M. Lamson/Hawai'i Wildlife Fund).
Submitted by: Mike Stone, Hawai'i Wildlife Fund Intern and University of Hawai'i at Hilo Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science Graduate Student
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund (HWF) has collected the brand name, material, item type, and origin of marine debris items that have washed ashore on beaches in Ka‘ū, Hawai‘i, since 2013. This study was conducted to better understand which manufacturers were the top producers of plastic products polluting our shores and better hold them responsible. After several years of collection, it was no surprise that plastic took up a staggering 89% of all material collected for this survey (N = 544). Out of the 283 brands that were recorded, Euro-Cap (37), Nestlé (30), Crocs (22), Coca-Cola (10), and Colgate (8) were among the five most prevalent brands in this study. By conducting this survey we hope to show policymakers the importance of plastic manufacturing companies changing their behavior related to the pollution they create. More information is available on the HWF website blog.
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Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi DIY kit includes gloves, sifters, bags, a guide, and debris identification cards (Credit: Conrad Morgan).
Submitted by: Monica Mclenigan, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi
Sustainable Coastlines Hawaiʻi (SCH) has been organizing large-scale cleanups in Hawai’i for the past ten years gathering hundreds and sometimes thousands of volunteers. When COVID hit, the organization had to find new ways to inspire our communities to care for their coastlines. The Do It Yourself Beach Clean-up Kit was born!
Along with the equipment, volunteers are provided with a guide and cards to identify the debris they collect. They are also invited to log their data through a QR code, making this kit a great tool to promote citizen science. Since February, 203 volunteers removed 483 pounds of trash from our beaches.
The DIY Beach Clean-up kit is free to anyone who wishes to organize a clean-up with their friends and family, and available for pick-up M-W-F from 11am-3pm at the SCH office (3160 Wai'alae Ave Ste 120, Hawai'i 96816).
DFG bundles await processing at CMDR’s Net Shed, located on Hawai'i Pacific University's Hawai'i Loa Campus (Credit: Jenna Karr).
Submitted by: Kellie Teague, Hawai‘i Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research
A research project in collaboration with the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund aiming to remove, analyze, and source derelict fishing gear (DFG) is nearing its completion. To date, researchers at the Hawai'i Pacific University Center for Marine Debris Research (CMDR) have removed over 150 net bundles totaling approximately 21 metric tons from in and around the Hawaiian Islands. In the net shed, 93% of the DFG has been disentangled and sampled for future chemical analysis. The final stage of the project will continue in the lab, where scientists meticulously measure, categorize, and determine the polymer type for each component of the gear. CMDR hopes to use these metrics to determine where this debris may have originated and aims to finish this study by the end of the year.
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(Left) The net in the original location. It was found at Keawaiki and was reported by a volunteer with Ke Kai Ola. (Right) The net after being transported to DAR Kona office (Credit: Katie Cartee and Megan Lamson).
Submitted by: Cathy Gewecke, Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources
The Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR) in Kona and the DAR Protected Species Program collaborated with the Division of State Parks and Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) staff in July 2021 to remove a net reported on the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) marine debris website at Keawaiki in South Kohala, Hawai‘i Island. DOCARE provided an all-terrain vehicle and utility task vehicle to help access the remote coastline and haul the net bundle. DAR Kona also installed an educational sign on the monofilament line/net bin outside their office and helped compile a DLNR press release about drifting fish aggregating devices (FAD) floating into Hawaiian waters. This press release may be updated to provide further clarification on sanctioned State of Hawai‘i FADs versus unsanctioned, local or domestic/foreign FADs (the latter which drift into Hawaiian waters with currents); current press release can be viewed here.
Submitted by: Mark Manuel, NOAA Marine Debris Program
The Hawai‘i Marine Debris Action Plan (Action Plan) was the first community-based marine debris action plan in the nation facilitated by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Established in 2010 and updated four times, it is a comprehensive framework for strategic action to reduce the ecological, health and safety, and economic impacts of marine debris in Hawai‘i by 2020. This report provides a history of the Action Plan and celebrates the accomplishments of the community. The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud of the Hawai'i Marine Debris Action Plan community and to present the 2010-2020 Accomplishments Report.
The articles written by partners are not the opinions of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and do not imply that NOAA recommends or endorses those expressed by partner organizations. These opinions and their associated actions will be carried out by interested partner organizations and are not affiliated with NOAA or the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
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