Marine Debris Survey and Removal from the Papahanaumokuakea (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands) Marine National Monument

Background and Overview

The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) are home to endangered Hawaiian monk seals, green sea turtles, seabirds, and a near-pristine coral reef ecosystem. Due to the islands’ location in the North Pacific gyre, these marine species and ecosystems are threatened by marine debris which accumulates there. Most of this debris consists of derelict fishing gear, which can entangle and severely injure or even kill wildlife.

Ongoing since 1996, staff with the NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC), Coral Reef Ecosystem Division have removed derelict nets from the reefs and shores of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Annually, more than 52 metric tons of marine debris accumulates in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Dameron et al., 2007).

In 2006, this removal effort switched to a “maintenance mode.” Smaller, more targeted removal efforts were conducted focusing on high-density areas of derelict fishing gear.

All nets brought back are used to create electricity in Hawaii’s trash–to-energy program. This program has been ongoing and successful due to the private-public partnership of Hawaii’s multi-agency marine debris partners.

This project has been co-funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program since 2005. Below are descriptions of these funded efforts.

Also visit Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Efforts by NOAA PIFSC CRED.

Reference Cited: Dameron, O., M. Parke, M. Albins, and R. Brainard. 2007. Marine debris accumulation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands: An examination of rates and processes. Marine Pollution Bulletin 54: 423-433.

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Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Debris Removal in Monk Seal Habitat

Pacific Region; 2005

French Frigate Shoals is one of the largest reef structures in the NWHI. It is the main nesting ground for the Hawaiian green sea turtle, is home to more than a third of all endangered Hawaiian monk seals, and supports the greatest variety of coral species in the NWHI. This project consisted of marine debris removal from French Frigate Shoals through a collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Coral Reef Ecosystem (CRED) and Protected Species Division (PSD) of NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center.

CRED staff conducted land debris removal operations cooperatively with personnel from PSD and USFWS. CRED staff also removed marine debris from reef areas underwater. Survey and removal efforts were concentrated at High Entanglement Risk Zones (HERZ) in the NWHI. In total, over 19 tons of derelict fishing nets were removed from the habitat of endangered Hawaiian monk seals and threatened green sea turtles at French Frigate Shoals. Additionally, survey data collected from Accumulation Rate Sites supplied integral baseline data for planning future NWHI survey and removal efforts.

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Marine Debris Survey and Removal from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (Northwestern Hawaiian Islands): Maintenance Mode

Pacific Region; 2006-2008

Partners | Benefits of the Project

Marine debris (mainly derelict net) removal efforts have been conducted in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) since 1996. As of 2006, these efforts have switched to a “maintenance mode” where smaller, more targeted efforts focusing on high-density areas of derelict fishing gear are conducted.

Since this project began in 1996, over 579 metric tons of derelict fishing net have been removed from reefs and shores across the NWHI. Derelict nets removed during this project are brought back to Honolulu and used to create electricity in Hawaii’s Nets to Energy program.

(1 metric ton = ~2,205 lbs)

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Partners

City and County of Honolulu
Covanta Energy
NOAA Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
Schnitzer Steel Hawaii Corporation
State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

…and other Hawaii multi-agency marine debris partners.

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Benefits of the Project

Removal of marine debris is important to the environment, because marine debris:

entangles endangered and threatened marine life
presents a hazard to safe navigation
damages coral reef habitat
may be a vector for the transport of invasive species

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Photos and Map

Map of Hawaii

Trained NOAA marine debris diver carefully removes a derelict fishing net from a coral reef in the NWHI. Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries Service.

Trained NOAA marine debris diver carefully disentangles an endagered Hawaiian monk seal in the NWHI. Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries Service.

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1-pager

Download the 1-pager handout (pdf 368KB) on this project here.

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This project is housed within NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and funded through NOAA's National Ocean Service, Office of Response & Restoration, Marine Debris Program, and the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.

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