Far North Queensland Marine Debris Project

Citizen scientists without access to oceanic research vessels can gain a sense of the state of our nearby seas and oceans and the human impact on them at accessible coastal locations. Observation and analysis of the debris coming ashore can improve our perception of the problem and our understanding of the processes at work. Accumulating data from beach cleanups provides a growing knowledge base for conducting public education and influencing changes of practice at both individual, community, industry and government levels. Tangaroa Blue Ocean Care Society, under its Australian Marine Debris Initiative, launched The Far North Queensland Marine Debris Project in 2007 engaging volunteers, communities, government and industries in the mitigation of marine debris between the Torres Strait Islands and Gladstone.