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The Trash Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP), is a citizen science initiative that engages
NOAA partners and volunteers across the nation to survey and record the amount and types of marine
debris on shorelines. Each passionate and dedicated partner in the MDMAP network selects a nearby
shoreline monitoring site that they return to monthly to conduct surveys and submit meaningful data to
NOAA’s MDMAP Database.
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 data can help to answer these questions and can be used to guide
marine debris policy development, education, and outreach, and address important research questions.