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NCLC Kicks Off Marine Debris Surveys near Cape Falcon Marine Reserve

On Jan. 21, the Marine Program of North Coast Land Conservancy kicked off its 2025 marine debris surveys with a volunteer training.

The survey site, located on a beach near Arch Cape and the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, was set up several years ago by CoastWatch, the volunteer program of Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition. However, it hasn’t yet been monitored as part of the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP), managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

NCLC Marine Program Manager Angela Whitlock (right) and volunteer Mylasia Miklas measure out the survey site.
NCLC Marine Program Manager Angela Whitlock (right) and volunteer Mylasia Miklas measure out the survey site.

“We’re recharging this site, and we’re looking forward to conducting regular monthly surveys,” NCLC Marine Program Manager Angela Whitlock explained to volunteers at the training.

The MDMAP is used to globally track marine debris and get a sense for what is washing up, where, and what time of year. This can provide insight into the main drivers of marine debris in different areas of the world.

As part of the program, NOAA requires participants to use a specific protocol. Each survey site covers 100 meters, which is roughly the length of a football field.

During a survey visit, volunteers randomly generate four transects—or five-meter segments—to monitor and comb through, looking for marine debris, which is classified as anything that is human-made, Angela says. The group focuses on items that are at least the size of a bottle cap, which includes plastics, rubbers, synthetic lumber, coolers, plastic bags, lighters, cigarette butts, and the like. Microplastics are not monitored for this particular program.

 Volunteers pick up the trash and record its observation for a global dataset.

“It allows us to understand what’s showing up where and when,” Angela says, adding it broadens the collective understanding of where the debris is coming from, what currents bring it in, and other information that can lead to more effective action and policymaking to curtail the production and distribution of marine debris.

NCLC has nearly 20 volunteers currently involved in the marine debris survey project. In small groups, they will be able to monitor the Cape Falcon site once per month.

Volunteers collect marine debris from the cobblestones lining the edge of the beach.
Volunteers collect marine debris from the cobblestones lining the edge of the beach.

If you’re interested in volunteering for this community science project, or others that take place at Cape Falcon Marine Reserve, contact Angela at angelaw@NCLCtrust.org.

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