Early Beginnings
On a trip from Honolulu to Long Beach, CA in 2007 aboard a Santa Cruz 50, the crew found themselves windless, drifting in the North Pacific High for three days. Their engine had a hydraulic lock, it was dead as a door nail. They drifted through miles of thick debris that entertained their daily fishing pursuits. While adrift, the crew had conversations of the famous “garbage patch of the north pacific” and how sailors might be able to do something to give back to the ocean they love.
In July 2008 one of the crew, James Callahan, approached the Pacific Cup Race at the Kaneohe Yacht Club to speak with race participants about marine debris. These sailors had just finished a race from San Francisco to Kaneohe, Hawaii and many were preparing for the return trip home. Data collection sheets were distributed to volunteering boats to see how practical it was for crew members to record marine debris sightings while standing watch in all kinds of weather conditions. The team also wanted to get an idea of the size of debris and areas of greater density. Data sheets were mailed back to Hawai’i and used to create maps of debris observations.
In April 2009, James met with Carey Morishige, NOAA Marine Debris Program in Honolulu, to discuss and share the results of the 2008 study. Together, with the lessons learned from the 2008 survey, they began to develop a new “shipboard” observation data collection form.
Pilot Project
A pilot project began in 2009 to collect data on marine debris observations at sea. This project was coordinated by the NOAA Marine Debris Program and James Callahan, in partnership with the Pacific Cup Yacht Club, TransPacific Yacht Race as well as numerous experts on marine debris observations at sea.
An initial form, called the Shipboard Observation Form for Floating Marine Debris, was created based on methods used in studies of floating marine debris by Thiel et al. in 2003[1], Shiomoto and Kameda in 2005[2], and Matsumura and Nasu in 1997[3], previous shipboard observational studies conducted at sea by NOAA, and the experience and input of the yacht sailors. The goal of this form is to be able to calculate the density of marine debris within the transect area using a slightly modified version of the formula used by Thiel et al., 2003, Shiomoto and Kameda, 2005, and Matsumura and Nasu, 1997:
D = n/((w/1000) x L)
The First Year: 2009
Ten double-sided copies of the initial form on waterproof paper were sent out with the first departing yacht from Honolulu on 14 May 2009. Upon that yacht’s arrival in Los Angeles, data and comments on the usability of the sheet were compiled and provided to the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP). Simple data analysis was conducted by the MDP and results are available on the project’s website (www.mdsurvey.wordpress.com).
The initial form was also sent out for review to researchers and others with experience and expertise in marine debris data collection at sea. The suggestions and comments of these reviewers were used to modify the form and instructions. This input, along with the input from the yacht sailors, was be used to update the data collection form, which was distributed to interested yacht racers heading back to CA from HI on 18 July 2009.
The Second Year: 2010
The second year continued to build on the first. The return rate from volunteer sailors increased as did the number of transects recorded, nearly a 44% increase from 2009. Data was mapped using GIS software to depict transect lengths and direction, as well as areas of density, and wildlife. This year Patagonia donated a $200 gift that was raffled off to a lucky volunteer that mailed there datasheets back to Hawaii.
2011 to 2014:
The catastrophic tsunami the people of Japan endured in 2011 caused the TPMDS to add an additional category to the survey form, JTMD (Japan Tsunami Marine Debris). We found through 2011 - 2016, JTMD was reported by Transpac and Pacific Cup sailors. Additionally, in 2011 the Shipboard Observation Form was added to the US Federal Register. In 2014 the project became an official community member of the Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan
2015 to Current:
No data sheets were distributed for the years 2015 and 2016. In 2015, the Oceancleanup Project worked with transiting sailors and in 2016, the NOAA Marine Debris Tracker App was used by Pacific Cup sailors. In early 2017, the HI Marine Debris Research community supported the continuation of the project. During the summer 2017, the project worked with volunteer Transpac sailors once again to complete visual observations using data sheets.
On a trip from Honolulu to Long Beach, CA in 2007 aboard a Santa Cruz 50, the crew found themselves windless, drifting in the North Pacific High for three days. Their engine had a hydraulic lock, it was dead as a door nail. They drifted through miles of thick debris that entertained their daily fishing pursuits. While adrift, the crew had conversations of the famous “garbage patch of the north pacific” and how sailors might be able to do something to give back to the ocean they love.
In July 2008 one of the crew, James Callahan, approached the Pacific Cup Race at the Kaneohe Yacht Club to speak with race participants about marine debris. These sailors had just finished a race from San Francisco to Kaneohe, Hawaii and many were preparing for the return trip home. Data collection sheets were distributed to volunteering boats to see how practical it was for crew members to record marine debris sightings while standing watch in all kinds of weather conditions. The team also wanted to get an idea of the size of debris and areas of greater density. Data sheets were mailed back to Hawai’i and used to create maps of debris observations.
In April 2009, James met with Carey Morishige, NOAA Marine Debris Program in Honolulu, to discuss and share the results of the 2008 study. Together, with the lessons learned from the 2008 survey, they began to develop a new “shipboard” observation data collection form.
Pilot Project
A pilot project began in 2009 to collect data on marine debris observations at sea. This project was coordinated by the NOAA Marine Debris Program and James Callahan, in partnership with the Pacific Cup Yacht Club, TransPacific Yacht Race as well as numerous experts on marine debris observations at sea.
An initial form, called the Shipboard Observation Form for Floating Marine Debris, was created based on methods used in studies of floating marine debris by Thiel et al. in 2003[1], Shiomoto and Kameda in 2005[2], and Matsumura and Nasu in 1997[3], previous shipboard observational studies conducted at sea by NOAA, and the experience and input of the yacht sailors. The goal of this form is to be able to calculate the density of marine debris within the transect area using a slightly modified version of the formula used by Thiel et al., 2003, Shiomoto and Kameda, 2005, and Matsumura and Nasu, 1997:
D = n/((w/1000) x L)
- n = # of debris observed
- w = maximum distance perpendicular to the transect
- L = total length (in km) of the transect
The First Year: 2009
Ten double-sided copies of the initial form on waterproof paper were sent out with the first departing yacht from Honolulu on 14 May 2009. Upon that yacht’s arrival in Los Angeles, data and comments on the usability of the sheet were compiled and provided to the NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP). Simple data analysis was conducted by the MDP and results are available on the project’s website (www.mdsurvey.wordpress.com).
The initial form was also sent out for review to researchers and others with experience and expertise in marine debris data collection at sea. The suggestions and comments of these reviewers were used to modify the form and instructions. This input, along with the input from the yacht sailors, was be used to update the data collection form, which was distributed to interested yacht racers heading back to CA from HI on 18 July 2009.
The Second Year: 2010
The second year continued to build on the first. The return rate from volunteer sailors increased as did the number of transects recorded, nearly a 44% increase from 2009. Data was mapped using GIS software to depict transect lengths and direction, as well as areas of density, and wildlife. This year Patagonia donated a $200 gift that was raffled off to a lucky volunteer that mailed there datasheets back to Hawaii.
2011 to 2014:
The catastrophic tsunami the people of Japan endured in 2011 caused the TPMDS to add an additional category to the survey form, JTMD (Japan Tsunami Marine Debris). We found through 2011 - 2016, JTMD was reported by Transpac and Pacific Cup sailors. Additionally, in 2011 the Shipboard Observation Form was added to the US Federal Register. In 2014 the project became an official community member of the Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan
2015 to Current:
No data sheets were distributed for the years 2015 and 2016. In 2015, the Oceancleanup Project worked with transiting sailors and in 2016, the NOAA Marine Debris Tracker App was used by Pacific Cup sailors. In early 2017, the HI Marine Debris Research community supported the continuation of the project. During the summer 2017, the project worked with volunteer Transpac sailors once again to complete visual observations using data sheets.
[1] Thiel, M., I. Hinojosa, N. Vasquez, and E. Macaya. 2003. Floating marine debris in coastal waters of the SE-Pacific (Chile). Marine Pollution Bulletin 46: 224-231.
[2] Shiomoto, A. and T. Kameda. 2005. Distribution of manufactured floating marine debris in near-shore areas around Japan. Marine Pollution Bulletin 50: 1430-1432.
[3] Matsumura S. and K. Nasu. 1997. Distribution of floating debris in the North Pacific Ocean: sighting surveys 1986–1991. In: J.M. Coe and D.B. Rogers, Editors, Marine Debris: Sources, Impact, and Solution, Springer, New York, pp. 15–24.
[2] Shiomoto, A. and T. Kameda. 2005. Distribution of manufactured floating marine debris in near-shore areas around Japan. Marine Pollution Bulletin 50: 1430-1432.
[3] Matsumura S. and K. Nasu. 1997. Distribution of floating debris in the North Pacific Ocean: sighting surveys 1986–1991. In: J.M. Coe and D.B. Rogers, Editors, Marine Debris: Sources, Impact, and Solution, Springer, New York, pp. 15–24.
