How Are MDMAP Data Used?

NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) data are used to document, understand, and communicate about marine debris on our shorelines. Below are some examples of peer-reviewed publications, marine debris prevention projects, reports, and student projects that incorporate MDMAP data.

Peer-reviewed Publications

• The impact of the anthropause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on beach debris accumulation in Maui, Hawai’i. Jens Currie, Florence Sullivan, Elizabeth Beato, Abigail Machernis, Grace Olson, Stephanie Stack. 2023.
• The contributions of citizen science to SDG monitoring and reporting on marine plastics. Dilek Fraisl, Linda See, Rachel Bowers, Omar Seidu, Kwame Boakye Fredua, Anne Bowser, Metis Meloche, Sarah Weller, Tyler Amaglo-Kobla, Dany Ghafari, Juan Carlos Laso Bayas, Jilian Campbell, Grant Cameron, Steffen Fritz, Ian McCallum. 2023.
• Towards a North Pacific long-term monitoring program for ocean plastic pollution: A systematic review and recommendations for shorelines. Amy V. Uhrin, Sunwook Hong, Hillary K. Burgess, Sehan Kim, Kyle Dettloff. 2022.
• Role of protected area in reducing marine and plastic litter: A case study from India's first Marine Protected Area and comparison with Non‐Protected Areas. Anju Baroth, Sonalika Mamgain, Kuppusamy Sivakumar, Prachi Sachchidanand Hatkar, Sameeha Pathan. 2022.
• Getting butts off the beach: Policy alone is not effective at reducing cigarette filter litter on beaches in Maui, Hawai'i. Jens J. Currie, Stephanie H. Stack. 2021.
• Automated Metadata Harmonization Using Entity Resolution and Contextual Embedding. Kunal Sawarkar, Meenakshi Kodati. 2021.
• Using citizen science to evaluate extended producer responsibility policy to reduce marine plastic debris shows no reduction in pollution levels. Lucas Harris, Max Liboiron, Louis Charron, Charles Mather. 2021. 
• Temporal Trends and Potential Drivers of Stranded Marine Debris on Beaches Within Two US National Marine Sanctuaries Using Citizen Science Data. Amy V. Uhrin, Sherry Lippiatt, Carlie E. Herring, Kyle Dettloff, Kate Bimrose, Chris Butler-Minor. 2020.
• Entanglement rates and haulout abundance trends of Steller (Eumetopias jubatus) and California (Zalophus californianus) sea lions on the north coast of Washington state. Elizabeth M. Allyn, Jonathan J. Scordino. 2020. 
• Marine Debris Monitoring And Assessment Using Standing-stock Survey Method At Selected Recreational Beaches Along Pahang Coastline. Muhammad Afiq Azman, Muhammad Zahir Ramli, Siti Fairus Che Othman. 2019.
• Accumulation and distribution of marine debris on barrier islands across the northern Gulf of Mexico, Caitlin Wessel, Kathleen Swanson, Tracy Weatherall, Justin Cebrian. 2019.
• The influx of marine debris from the 2011 Great Japan Tsunami to North American shorelines, Cathryn C. Murray, Nikolai Maximenko, Sherry Lippiatt. 2018.
• Trends and drivers of debris accumulation on Maui shorelines: Implications for local mitigation strategies. Lauren C. Blickley, Jens J. Currie, Gregory D. Kaufman. 2016.
• Quantification and Recommended Management of Man-Made Debris Along the Sea Turtle Nesting Beach at Playa Caletas, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Julia Ramos, Christopher Pincetich,  Lotti Adams, Katherine Comer Santos, Joel Hage, Randall Arauz. 2012.

Marine Debris Prevention Projects

• Deadly Litter: Balloons & Plastic Ribbons on Virginia’s Coastal Beaches. Katie Register. 2021. 
• A Behavior Change Campaign to Reduce Plastic Shotgun Wad Debris on the North-Central California Coast. Kate Bimrose, Nya Van Leuvan, Lauren Highleyman, Christine Tsai,Kirsten Lindquist, Sherry Lippiatt, Karen Reyna, Jan Roletto. 2021.
• Monitoring Marine Debris in Virginia’s Coastal Zone Project Report. Katie Register, Christina Trapani, Mark Swingle. 2016.

Reports

• Marine debris on the shoreline of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary: An assessment of activities contributing to marine debris, categories and composition, spatial distribution, and predictor variables. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. 2023.
• Reckoning with the U.S. Role in Global Ocean Plastic Waste. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022.
• The Effects of Marine Debris Caused by the Great Japan Tsunami of 2011. PICES Special Publication. 2019.
• An analysis of marine debris in the US. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Ocean Conservancy. 2017.

Student Theses and Capstones 

• Southern Maine Coastal Marine Debris Accumulation Estimation Study. Melissa Pratt. 2023.
• Assessing and Improving Methods for Marine Debris Monitoring in the Northern Channel Islands. Adriana Stovall. 2023.
• Monitoring and analysis of marine solid waste accumulation patterns on beaches. (Monitoramento e análise sobre o padrão de acúmulo de resíduos sólidos marinhos em praias). Renata Rafaela do Nascimento Silva. 2022.
• Solid Waste Contamination on Southern California Coastal Beaches. Vanessa C. Vasquez. 2021.
• Addressing the issue of marine debris through restoration and advocacy with Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund. Michael D. Stone. 2021.
• Applying Object Detection to Monitoring Marine Debris. Leah Sherwood. 2020. 
• An Analysis of the Potential Toxicological Effects of Marine Plastics and Associated Organic and Inorganic Toxic Compounds on Six Commercially Significant Fishery Species. Nicole M. Jackson. 2019.