Abstract

Marine debris monitoring requires coordinated effort and commitment by the partners involved, and can reap great benefits. Monitoring data provide important information on the types and sources of debris and can identify targets for mitigation, evaluate the effectiveness of marine debris prevention and management efforts, and determine the impacts that debris is having on the environment. Marine debris shoreline monitoring is an effective way to engage volunteers in a rewarding citizen science experience while providing valuable scientific data. In fact, with the appropriate training, guidance, and support, volunteer citizen scientists collect marine debris data of a comparable quality to scientific research-ers (van der Velde et al. 2016).

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