The public reports large marine debris to existing reporting systems established by the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. Those reports are dispatched directly to non-profit clean-up organizations on respective islands for rapid removal of large marine debris.

Our team tracks the movement of the NPGP using advanced ocean drift models developed by scientists at the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC). Like weather forecasts, the model displays the daily location of floating marine debris concentrations across the entire North Pacific, including the greatest accumulation in the NPGP.

The movements of the NPGP are dynamic as it “wobbles’ between Hawaii and the US West Coast. When near Hawaii, it brings greater debris loads to the islands. The model also provides a month-long forecast (click here to view today’s forecast) for debris quantities arriving at the different Hawaiian Islands. This predictive system allows us to mobilize and prioritize removal operations based on near-real-time suggestions of debris location and movement.

Coral Reef Protection: Early detection allows us to intercept large debris before it bulldozes coral reefs or introduces invasive species.

Community and Ecosystem Safety: Anticipating debris influxes helps protect our marine life and maintain the health of Hawaii’s unique ecosystems.