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NOAA Begins Mission to Remove Marine Debris from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

On September 25, 2014, two of the Marine Debris Program’s own staff and a team of 17 scientists and trained divers from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) embarked on a 33-day mission to remove derelict fishing nets and plastics from the sensitive reefs, shallow waters, and shorelines of the Monument.

The crew is making its way there aboard the NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette and will remove debris from five areas: Maro Reef, Laysan Island, Lisianski Island, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, and Midway Atoll. For more information, you can follow the journey on the Marine Debris Program's website.

For further information, contact Asma.Mahdi@noaa.gov.

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Nets in a large bin.
A debris dumpster is loaded up with nets from Maro Reef after just a few days at sea. (NOAA)
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:54pm PST