Oregon Shores CoastWatch has been partnering with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) for more than a decade to recruit and train CoastWatch volunteers and staff from partners like Oregon Marine Reserve Partnership to survey, once a month, marine debris accumulation on Oregon beaches. CoastWatch is one of hundreds of partners in a coastal network throughout the United States contributing to a program called MDMAP, or the Marine Debris Mapping Assessment Protocol. Why did NOAA begin this program, and how has the data collected so far informed this federal program? Hillary Burgess serves as the Marine Debris Program specialist in monitoring and citizen science, and leads the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project at NOAA. She is our enthusiastic and supportive contact at NOAA, and works in Seattle, depending on partners like us to support volunteers in the field. She will share about what the program is learning from the information it is receiving, and answer questions from current MDMAP volunteers and others who are interested in the program, and in marine debris in general.

MDMAP is a monthly survey that can be done individually or in teams. In this session, you’ll be able to learn where current Oregon sites are, where help is needed and how you can start a new site.