© 2025 Hawaiʻi Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Innovators called to help with marine debris clean-up at Papahānaumokuākea

Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project removed 72,150 lbs of marine debris from the reefs and shorelines of Pearl and Hermes Atoll and Kure Atoll from September to October 2025.
Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project
Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project removed 72,150 lbs of marine debris from the reefs and shorelines of Pearl and Hermes Atoll and Kure Atoll from September to October 2025.
The Marine Debris Hack-a-Thon 2025 will be at the Waikīkī Aquarium.
Hawaiʻi Sea Grant
The Marine Debris Hack-a-Thon 2025 will be at the Waikīkī Aquarium.

This week, The Conversation will be highlighting marine debris, the groups helping remove it from our underwater ecosystems, and the artists turning marine trash into treasure.

The Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project kicks off the series. This was the first season that the marine debris team went high-tech. They used drones and undersea scooters to help in their effort to remove nets and other trash from Papahānaumokuākea.

This weekend, they are hosting a “hackathon” to ask innovators to help come up with methods to make their operations even more efficient.

HPR spoke to James Morioka and Derek LeVault about the mission and their vision for the event.

For more information about the Marine Debris Hack-a-Thon 2025, click here.


This story aired on The Conversation on Dec. 8, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.

Corrected: December 9, 2025 at 3:48 PM HST
Corrected spelling of Papahānaumokuākea.
Catherine Cruz is the host of The Conversation. Contact her at ccruz@hawaiipublicradio.org.
Related Stories