Caribbean Community Members Trained to Monitor Marine Debris with NOAA
FEB. 27, 2023 — Between Feb. 7-11, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, within the Office of Response and Restoration, trained coastal community members from the Caribbean to participate in the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP). The project engages NOAA partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.
The program hosted three in-person trainings, one in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and two in Puerto Rico. Individuals, teachers, community-based organizations, and representatives from local agencies attended the trainings. They learned about how the project can be used to collect important data on marine debris in their communities and practiced the survey protocols. The training series will be followed with a virtual seminar on the ways MDMAP data have been used, and new online tools for entering and exploring MDMAP data.
As a result of this effort, at least three project sites will now be monitored regularly to help increase our understanding of marine debris along the U.S. Caribbean coast.