Stretching 1,200 miles northwest of the main Hawaiian Islands is a chain of remote islands and atolls known as the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Centrally located in the North Pacific Gyre, currents carry marine debris from all around the Pacific Ocean to these beautiful, mostly uninhabited shores.
Follow our scientists as they travel island to island, removing marine debris from underwater reefs and shorelines of the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Training
Our team is training all week in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. They are preparing to maneuver small boats around reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Rhonda Suka)
Back to school
The team visited schools around Oahu to share their knowledge about marine debris and its threats to wildlife and ecosystems and to introduce this year's marine debris removal efforts. Teaching young students about marine debris is key to preventing the problem in the future. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Rhonda Suka)
Packing up
Being prepared is essential for safe and successful shipboard and field operations in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Everything has to be labeled, inventoried, and organized. As soon as all the equipment and gear is loaded on the ship, we will be ready for the mission. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Tomoko Acoba)
Smooth sailing
Ships in the night
The NOAA Ship Sette transits past Maro Reef and will soon pass Laysan Island. We have enjoyed beautiful weather and relatively calm seas. Over 3 days of transit, our team is preparing boats and equipment to arrive at Pearl and Hermes Atoll for our first operational day. In the evening, we gather on the bow for sunset, practicing breath-holding techniques and watching the abundant sea birds hunt for evening meals. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
Dinner
Flying By
From above
We headed out shortly after sunrise to make the most of our first daylight hours of operations at Pearl and Hermes Atoll. We focused on the southeast side of the labyrinth of coral reefs at the atoll. Our divers found a derelict fishing net and carefully removed it from the reef while the boat crew recorded its size and location. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
Dive surveys
NOAA divers conduct a swim survey to look for derelict fishing nets on the reefs at Pearl and Hermes Atoll. One diver swims along the reef edge while the other diver surveys the interior and in-between. Sea turtles and large reef fish are often curious, swimming by to investigate these new creatures in their underwater habitat. Our four boat teams were very successful at Pearl and Hermes today, bringing in a total of 2,111 kilograms (4,654 pounds) of derelict fishing nets. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
A ton of net
This is a metric ton of derelict fishing net! The marine debris divers carefully remove nets from reefs, pile them onto small boats, and then motor them to the NOAA ship where they are craned onboard for transport back to Honolulu. Today, we removed a total of 2,550 kilograms (5,622 pounds) of fishing nets from the coral reefs around Pearl and Hermes Atoll. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/James Morioka)
Rain, rain go away
Monster nets
Nets from above
Freeing the reef
Leaving scars
High fives
Maui's Hook
Follow the sand berm!![On the north end of the Atoll near the sand berm, divers Schem and Pomatat check out the drop off, a hot spot where derelict fishing nets collect. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam).]()
On the north end of the Atoll near the sand berm, divers Schem and Pomatat check out the drop off, a hot spot where derelict fishing nets collect. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
Calm before the storm
We had the last of the perfect weather here at Pearl and Hermes Atoll as Hurricane Walaka approached from the south. The team increased their hours and took FULL advantage of these last beautiful "glassy" days. We were able to clean up more than 22,000 pounds of debris in 3 days of operations. Here is a boat full of marine debris transiting out of the small boat channel, towards the NOAA Ship Sette. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
Sunset congratulations
The team joined the ship's crew on the bow at sunset to honor and congratulate NOAA Corps Ensign Tim Hollands promotion to Lieutenant (junior grade). (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
Midway Atoll
This is how we roll
NOAA scientists attempt to measure the impacts of fishing nets on the coral reefs for the first time in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. We employ an underwater "structure from motion" technique to capture images of the reef before and after we remove nets. We will process hundreds of photos to create three-dimensional models of the nets and reefs. (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Rhonda Suka)
Oscar Elton Sette
All plastics
![Miles and miles away from nearest major cities, plastics and fishing nets have accumulated along the shorelines of Midway Atoll. Scientists Williams and Weible collect debris on Eastern Island. [Lots of bending.] (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)](https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/dam-migration-miss/1280_oWMx2gz4sR99.jpg?1539887557)
Off the beach
The team is about to bring the huge conglomorate net onto the small boat. Divers in the water tie the lines at the bottom of the nets to give everybody on the boat a tight grip. The small boats will be full! (Photo: NOAA Fisheries/Steven Gnam)
Overload
Partners
NOAA Fisheries marine debris project in the Pacific Islands region is supported by NOAA (Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, Pacific Islands Regional Office, Marine Debris Program, National Marine Sanctuaries, and the Damage Assessment Remediation and Restoration Program) in partnership with the University of Hawaii's Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, the State of Hawaii’s Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
