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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Shoreline surveys and removal of marine debris at Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 2013 to 2016 (NCEI Accession 0189571)

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The marine debris data included in this dataset are from annual shoreline surveys conducted from 2013 to 2016 at the islands of Midway Atoll (Eastern, Spit, and Sand Islands) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) by the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) with funding from Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), and NOAA's Marine Debris (MDP) and Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration (DARRP) Programs. Prior to the surveys in 2013, each shoreline was divided into fixed 300-meter segments and stratified by the cardinal direction the shoreline was facing (e.g., north, south, east, and west). The shorelines of Eastern, Spit, and Sand Islands were divided into 19, 4, and 23 segments, respectively. All segments were surveyed at all islands during the 2013, 2015, and 2016 missions. During the 2014 mission, limited time was available to survey all segments; therefore, the pre-existing segments were randomized, and a subset of the segments were identified as a first- or second-tier priority for each strata. All first- and second-tier priority segments were surveyed in 2014. During a shoreline survey, field staff flagged the corners of the site and swept the entire survey area for marine debris. Most items found within the survey area >10 cm were collected and, if possible, bagged. Due to operational concerns, metal, glass, and building material were not surveyed or removed. Debris items <10 cm were also collected and bagged if the item could be identified (e.g., bottle caps and lighters were included in the survey, unidentified fragments <10 cm were typically excluded). Additionally, if the debris item was considered large (>1 m) or notable, a GPS waypoint was taken to mark the specific location of the debris, and the item was measured (length and width), recorded on the datasheet, and either bagged, removed, or tagged if the item was too large or hazardous to remove. The survey concluded by walking the perimeter of the survey site with a GPS. Following the survey, bagged and large debris were transported to the operations center for the mission, weighed, and sorted, tallied, and recorded by debris type for each survey. Total weight of all collected debris and the survey area (derived from the GPS tracks) were recorded for each 300-m segment, along with the date since the last debris survey to calculate the accumulation rate. During an extended field season at Midway Atoll in the NWHI in 2012, PIFSC scientists removed all of the marine debris along the shorelines of the islands at Midway Atoll. This represented a "clean slate" and starting point to begin studying the accumulation rate along the shorelines for subsequent years. Accumulation rates are reliable only for Eastern and Spit Islands. The shorelines of Sand Island are cleaned regularly by permanent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service residents; thus, the debris data recorded by ESD for Sand Island does not represent natural accumulation. The shoreline survey and removal efforts at Midway Atoll have been conducted as a component of ship-based missions to the NWHI, a component of a larger shore-based missions at Midway Atoll, or as a stand-alone shoreline debris removal mission at Midway Atoll.
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2019). Shoreline surveys and removal of marine debris at Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 2013 to 2016 (NCEI Accession 0189571). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0189571. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0189571
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Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 2013-04-05 to 2016-04-30
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -177.396351
East: -177.32316
South: 28.19567
North: 28.2184
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2019-06-25
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) includes the 1200 nautical mile chain of atolls and islets known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) that are geographically positioned as a repository for marine debris. Marine debris circulates within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre until it encounters the atolls of the NWHI.

The Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) has conducted both ship- and shore-based missions in the NWHI to survey for and remove derelict fishing gear and many other types of marine debris. Exploratory and opportunistic efforts began in 1996 that eventually evolved into annual dedicated cruises deployed up to 4 months at a time with a team of up to 18 divers.

These marine debris missions have been supported by several agencies over the years, including PMNM, NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), NOAA Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP), and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). ESD has removed derelict fishing gear and other marine debris from Pearl and Hermes Atoll (PHR), Midway Atoll (MID), Kure Atoll (KUR), Lisianski Island (LIS), Laysan Island (LAY), Maro Reef (MAR), and French Frigate Shoals (FFS).

Submission Package ID: X6BJB6
Purpose The purpose of the marine debris survey and removal efforts at Midway Atoll is to mitigate entanglement threats to wildlife and study the accumulation rates at Midway Atoll's three islands: Sand, Eastern, and Spit. The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) includes the 1200 nautical mile chain of atolls and islets known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) that are geographically positioned as a repository for marine debris. Marine debris circulates within the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre until it encounters the atolls of the NWHI. The Ecosystem Sciences Division (ESD) at the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) has conducted both ship- and shore-based missions in the NWHI to survey for and remove derelict fishing gear and many other types of marine debris. Exploratory and opportunistic efforts began in 1996 that eventually evolved into annual dedicated cruises deployed up to 4 months at a time with a team of up to 18 divers. These marine debris missions have been supported by several agencies over the years, including PMNM, NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP), NOAA Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP), and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). ESD has removed derelict fishing gear and other marine debris from Pearl and Hermes Atoll (PHR), Midway Atoll (MID), Kure Atoll (KUR), Lisianski Island (LIS), Laysan Island (LAY), Maro Reef (MAR), and French Frigate Shoals (FFS).
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2019). Shoreline surveys and removal of marine debris at Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 2013 to 2016 (NCEI Accession 0189571). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0189571. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Principal Investigators
Collaborators
Contributors
Resource Providers
Publishers
Acknowledgments
  • Related Funding Agency: Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
  • Related Funding Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NOS; Office of Response and Restoration
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
CoRIS Discovery Thesaurus
  • Geographic Information > Marine Debris
CoRIS Theme Thesaurus
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Aquatic Habitat > Coastal Habitat
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Damage Assessment > Marine Debris
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coral Reefs
  • EARTH SCIENCE > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Shorelines
Provider Keywords
  • Marine Debris
  • derelict fishing gear
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Contributing Data Centers
  • CRED
  • CREP
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Division
  • Coral Reef Ecosystem Program
  • PIFSC
  • Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS CoRIS Place Thesaurus
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Midway Atoll (28N177W0001)
  • COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Hawaii > Honolulu > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (28N178W0000)
  • OCEAN BASIN > Pacific Ocean > Central Pacific Ocean > Northwestern Hawaiian Islands > Midway Atoll (28N177W0001)
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords Provider Place Names
  • NWHI
  • Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
  • PMNM
  • Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
Project keywords Provider Project Names
  • Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program (DARRP)
  • Marine Debris Program (MDP)
  • Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Ecosystem Sciences Division; Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (2019). Shoreline surveys and removal of marine debris at Midway Atoll, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands from 2013 to 2016 (NCEI Accession 0189571). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0189571. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
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Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2019-06-25T21:26:27Z - NCEI Accession 0189571 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • Parameter or Variable: DEBRIS (measured); Units: count; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: visual observation; Sampling and Analyzing Method: During a shoreline survey, field staff flagged the corners of the site and swept the entire survey area for marine debris. Most items found within the survey area >10 cm were collected and, if possible, bagged. Due to operational concerns, metal, glass, and building material were not surveyed or removed. Debris items <10 cm were also collected and bagged if the item could be identified (e.g., bottle caps and lighters were included in the survey, unidentified fragments <10 cm were typically excluded). Additionally, if the debris item was considered large (>1 m) or notable, a GPS waypoint was taken to mark the specific location of the debris, and the item was measured (length and width), recorded on the datasheet, and either bagged, removed, or tagged if the item was too large or hazardous to remove. Following the survey, bagged and large debris were transported to the operations center for the mission, weighed, and sorted, tallied, and recorded by debris type for each survey. Large and notable items were individually weighed and recorded separately.; Data Quality Method: The NOAA Marine Debris Program-standardized shoreline survey datasheet was used to tally different debris types. Eel traps, oyster spacers, plastic pipes, and plastic baskets were added to the debris type categories (a significant number of these were found during the shoreline surveys)..
  • Parameter or Variable: DEBRIS (measured); Units: kilogram; Observation Category: in situ; Sampling Instrument: scale; Sampling and Analyzing Method: Following the survey, bagged and large debris were transported to the operations center for the mission, weighed, and sorted, tallied, and recorded by debris type for each survey. Large debris = weight (kg) of individual debris items. Debris = total weight (kg) of all debris items collected within the survey segment.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • scale
  • visual observation
Last Modified: 2023-02-06T13:31:46Z
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