A team from the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) returned to Honolulu after conducting their first of three marine debris cleanups planned for 2024.
The Hawaiʻi-based nonprofit organization focuses on protecting wildlife and habitats within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument from the threats of marine debris.
The 12-person team conducted an almost three-week mission, removing a total of 70,080 pounds of marine debris and cleaning over 10 miles of shoreline at Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
“PMDP came to Kuaihelani with the goal of removing 35,000 pounds of marine debris to preemptively protect the wildlife, and I’m proud to say we more than doubled our goal," said Sydney Luitgaarden of PMDP.
The cleanup mission targeted the removal of debris entanglement and ingestion hazards to wildlife from the shorelines of Kuaihelani.
The area is home to more than 70 endangered Hawaiian monk seals, serves as the nesting grounds for the world’s largest colony of mōlī (Laysan Albatross), and nearly two million birds of 19 different species — including the world’s most endangered duck, the Laysan duck.
Below is a breakdown of the 70,080 pounds of marine debris removed:
The NOAA Marine Debris Program supports this work through a five-year grant to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation using $5.8 million in funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
"The NOAA Marine Debris Program has been a proud supporter of marine debris removal efforts in the Monument since 2006," said Nancy Wallace, director of NOAA's Marine Debris Program.
"We are pleased to continue NOAA's legacy in this culturally and ecologically significant place, and support the efforts of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project," Wallace said.
Over the past four years, PMDP has removed over 785,000 pounds of marine debris from the remote islands and atolls within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The group aims to remove an additional 215,000 pounds this year during two 30-day, ship-based cleanup missions scheduled for August through October 2024.
For more information about the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project and how to get involved, click here.
