Annual in-water surveys from 1999 to 2021 at reefs, atolls, and islands in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were conducted by NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. Two survey methods, tow and swim surveys, were used to locate debris larger than 0.012 cubic meters, recording descriptive information and GPS waypoints. Debris was removed when safe, and the volume and weight of removed loads were estimated and recorded.
Use Cases
- Analyze debris accumulation trends over time based on the 22-year survey period
- Map debris distribution and hotspots based on recorded GPS waypoints
- Associate debris types with specific reef habitats based on described survey methods and locations
- Evaluate removal effort efficiency based on recorded debris volume and weight estimates
Strengths
- Data spans a 22-year period from 1999 to 2021
- Includes detailed descriptive information for each debris item, such as type, color, size, and biofouling
- Survey methods are explicitly documented, including tow and swim surveys for different habitats
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
- Data is provided in PDF format, which may complicate automated analysis
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division
- Collection Method
- Annual ship-based and fly-in missions with diver surveys using tow and swim methods
- Time Range
- 1999 to 2021
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-03-14 23:05:05.233624; freshness should be verified
- Geography
- Reefs, atolls, and islands in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands