An Aerial Survey of Marine Debris Along the Coast of Southwestern Alaska
Pacific; 2008
Background | Partners | Benefits of the Project | Photos | 1-pager
Background
Much of Alaska’s coast has not yet been surveyed for the presence and extent of marine debris. A few local organizations have developed the capability to identify and collect marine debris from areas relatively near communities, but none has the capacity to address marine debris at remote sites. Evaluations of concentrations need to be performed in a manner that quantifies relative amounts of debris present (i.e., known problem areas), so that a systematic state-wide inventory of debris locations can be assembled in collaboration with numerous local and regional marine debris removal efforts.
This project addresses two aspects of surveying marine debris in Alaska. First, it is a systematic aerial evaluation of marine debris in some of the unsurveyed portions of Alaska’s coast. Second, it substantially expands recent efforts to integrate state-wide marine debris information by collaborating with other NOAA-funded and fishing industry-supported regional activities.
The aerial survey will be conducted during late July-August 2008 in areas of southwestern Alaska along the Pacific coast of the Alaska Peninsula and along all coasts of the eastern Aleutian Islands from the eastern-most Krenitzin Islands group out to the Islands of the Four Mountains, 200 miles west of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. This survey area encompasses about 2,000 miles of coastline. All marine debris locations will be digitally photographed from an altitude of 700-800 ft, and geo-referenced via a Geographic Positioning System integrated with the camera. This work will be conducted in conjunction with an aerial seal population survey by NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Laboratory.
Current Partners
- NOAA Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Mammal Laboratory
- NOAA Fisheries Service, Office of Habitat Conservation, National Restoration Center
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime Wildlife Refuge
- Coastal America
- Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation
- NOAA Fisheries Service, Alaska Regional Office
- Airborne Technologies, Inc.
Benefits of the Project
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Assessment of marine debris concentrations along 2,000 miles of Alaska’s coast in areas too distant to be surveyed by single-engine aircraft.
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Establish protocols for systematic aerial surveys for marine debris in Alaska.
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Contribute information to the NOAA-funded marine debris data base for Alaska.
Photos
Map of the aerial marine debris survey area (outlined in yellow).
Docking fenders for large ships. These fenders are used to raft ships together at
sea. They are inflated and made of synthetic rubber and metal chain, and are about three meters long and 1 meter diameter. Photo courtesy of the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation.
Assorted discarded fishing gear on a cobble beach in Alaska.
Items in this mess include pieces of polypropylene web from a bottom
trawl, some monofilament nylon web from a salmon gill net, and lines
(ropes) and a buoy from a crab pot. Photo courtesy of the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation.
Pieces of wooden palate boards, a crab pot float, a tangle of ropes
and lines, and a piece of blue plastic on a beach in Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation.
1-pager
Download the 1-pager handout (pdf 412KB) on this project.
This program is funded through NOAA's Ocean Service, Office of Response & Restoration, Marine Debris Program.
