Over 100,000 pounds of marine debris wash ashore each year in the Papahānaumokuākea region of the Hawaiian Islands. But the inaugural Hack-A-Thon is seeking innovative designs to help reduce that.
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project, a nonprofit that focuses on the removal of the debris, has paired up with the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program to host the competition.
The event is aimed at gathering tools that make cutting through fishing nets more efficient. Whether they’re stuck in the ocean or washed up on a beach, they put wildlife and coral reefs at risk.
Derek LeVault, the quartermaster at PMDP, noted that the organization has gone on nine missions to Papahānaumokuākea since 2020, collecting a total of over 1 million pounds of debris.
“The interesting thing about marine debris is that it's just so prevalent, so abundant. It's the defining feature of what should otherwise be this vast wilderness. You look at these beaches where there are no humans and they're just covered in buoys, bottles, and fishing nets,” LeVault said.
LeVault and his co-members at PMDP have tried an array of tools to cut through the thick netting and knots of leftover fishing gear. From pocket knives, to bread knives, to power tools, nothing has proved to be ideal.
“I think the Hack-A-Thon holds some real promise, because there's a lot of tools that are almost there and a creative mind or a skilled hand could get on those and come up with something pretty good.”
The Hack-A-Thon is accepting applications through July 31. Participants will then showcase and compete with their tools at the Waikīkī Aquarium on Dec. 13.
