Marine Debris Program and Oregon CoastWatch Train Community Members for Citizen Science
APRIL 24, 2022 — The NOAA Marine Debris Program and Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition's CoastWatch trained coastal community members to participate in the NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project. MDMAP engages NOAA partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.
Between March 28 and April 8, CoastWatch hosted in-person, hands-on trainings for individuals, school groups, and community-based organizations at seven beaches between Gold Beach and Astoria, Oregon. The series of trainings culminated in a virtual seminar presented by Hillary Burgess, the MDP’s Marine Debris Monitoring Coordinator, that highlighted examples of how MDMAP data have been used and new online tools for exploring MDMAP data. The seminar was hosted in partnership with Friends of Haystack Rock and was attended by 60 people from throughout Oregon.
As a result, these seven sites will now be monitored each month to help increase our understanding of marine debris along the Oregon coast.
For more information, please contact Hillary.Burgess@noaa.gov.