Marine Debris Shoreline Surveys at Midway Atoll from 2013 to 2018

Annual shoreline surveys from 2013 to 2018 at Midway Atoll's Eastern, Spit, and Sand Islands recorded debris accumulation. NOAA's Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center conducted surveys on fixed 300-meter segments, collecting items >10 cm and recording GPS waypoints for large debris. Total debris weight and survey area were recorded for each segment to calculate accumulation rates.

Use Cases

• Calculate debris accumulation rates based on recorded total weight and survey area per segment.
• Analyze spatial distribution of debris based on shoreline stratification by cardinal direction.
• Assess the impact of regular cleaning efforts by comparing data from Sand Island with Eastern and Spit Islands.
• Model debris types and quantities based on recorded sorting and tallying by debris type.

Strengths

• Survey methodology uses fixed 300-meter segments, providing consistent spatial units.
• Data collection spans 5 years (2013-2018), offering a longitudinal view.
• GPS waypoints were taken for large debris items, providing precise geospatial data.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Accumulation rates are reliable only for Eastern and Spit Islands, not Sand Island.
• Metal, glass, and building materials were not surveyed or removed, creating a data gap.

Provenance

Source

NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Ecosystem Sciences Division

Collection Method

Annual shoreline surveys with debris collection, weighing, sorting, and GPS tracking.

Time Range

2013 to 2018

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 23:05:17.569620; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Midway Atoll (Eastern, Spit, and Sand Islands), Northwestern Hawaiian Islands