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The Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, or MDMAP, engages NOAA partners and volunteers around the world to survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines.
How big is the marine debris problem, and how is it changing over time? What types of debris are most common in your region? MDMAP survey data can help to answer these questions and can be used to guide marine debris policy development, provide education and outreach, and address important research questions.
This Toolbox contains resources for both current and new MDMAP partner organizations and volunteers.
Start by viewing our tutorial series, available in English and Spanish. These four short training videos introduce participants to MDMAP and how to conduct a survey. Use them to get started, refresh your skills, or to train new team members. These videos complement the Shoreline Survey Guide and Item Categorization Guide, also found here.
Visit our collection of Protocol Documents and Field Datasheets for resources to help you complete a shoreline survey.
Explore data on MDMAP without logging in by clicking the “visualize” button and using the search bar to filter results. Download data by clicking the “export button.” Access documentation and the API by clicking ‘About MDMAP'.
If you don’t know how to record an item found during a survey, try searching our Monitoring Photo Gallery for help classifying unique items.
See examples of how MDMAP data are used in peer-reviewed publications, marine debris prevention projects, reports, and student projects that incorporate MDMAP data.
