Every year, multiple NOAA offices collaborate to support a marine debris removal effort in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), located in the remote and mostly uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Due to the PMNM’s location in relation to the North Pacific Gyre and ocean currents, this area is often highly afflicted with marine debris and these efforts are greatly needed. This year, the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) Coral Reef Ecosystem Program of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the NOAA Marine Debris Program, and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument of the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries have organized and supported an effort to clean Midway, Kure, and Pearl and Hermes Atolls, Lisianski and Laysan Islands, and the French Frigate Shoals. The 2016 mission launched on Tuesday, April 12th, and will work to remove marine debris for a month, until the mission ends on May 13th. Stay tuned to our blog for details about the trip, as well as the Coral Reef Ecosystem Program’s interactive daily map, and check out our social media, where you can find daily updates on this exciting effort!
NOAA’s 2016 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Removal Mission Sets Sail
For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.
Add new comment
We appreciate your interest and welcome your feedback to our posts. Please provide comments that are relevant to the topic and refrain from advertising. Comments will be reviewed before publishing.