DEBRIS TRACKER
Want to help solve our planet’s growing plastic pollution problem?
Help Researchers Develop Data-Driven Solutions to Plastic Pollution Threats.
Litter that ends up in the environment can harm or kill wildlife, while also damaging and degrading habitats. While some items that end up as waste could have once played a critical role in keeping people safe and healthy, like medical or protective equipment, litter can threaten navigational safety, economies, and human health. Marine debris—any human-made item, commonly made of plastic, which makes its way to the ocean—is one of the most pervasive global threats to the health of the ocean. Scientists estimate that 80 percent of marine debris comes from land-based sources. To really understand this problem, we need data not only on the coast but also upstream in the communities where much of the problem starts.
The large Debris Tracker dataset needed for research would be impossible to collect without help from citizen scientists like you. Information you contribute can help researchers develop data-driven solutions to plastic pollution threats. Your community can also use the data to help drive positive changes locally.
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MARINE DEBRIS TRACKER
By collecting data about litter wherever you see it, from the ocean to your backyard, you can contribute to critical scientific research. Help scientists and researchers better understand the bigger picture of the plastic pollution crisis, from global trends to impacts on local communities. To get started, all you need to do is download the free Marine Debris Tracker mobile application, also called Debris Tracker, on your smart device.
Using Debris Tracker To Tackle Plastic
Learn more about the Debris Tracker app in this Sea to Source video.
TRUE OR FALSE?
Take this quiz to check your plastic pollution understanding. Click the down arrow to see the answer.
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HOW TO USE THE DEBRIS TRACKER
Participate in ongoing scientific research simply by using the free Debris Tracker app. Follow the steps below to get started.
- To join Marine Debris Tracker, download the free app for Android or iOS.
- Open the app and allow it to access your location. This will enable geotagging of your logged items and your path.
- Select “Start Tracking.” Here you choose your project or organization. If you don’t have one, just select “NOAA,” or browse the descriptions linked to the “i” for each.
You will see a screen with an “Items Collected” banner and a trash can icon at the top. The number on the trash can shows how many litter items you have tracked in total for that session.
Below the banner are sections indicating litter categories. Select the categories you want to track and scroll through the blue-gray sub-list of specific litter items. Record the number of items you find of each litter type by tapping the “Add” button as many times as you need. You can also use the up/down-pointing triangles with the number, or change the number, before tapping “Add” to send to the trash can.
- When done collecting, select the right-pointing triangle at the top-right to continue.
- Once you “Submit,” and you’ll be asked to register. To earn credit on SciStarter for your participation in this project, please select “Log In Though SciStarter.”
Another window will appear with options. If you have cell service or Wi-Fi access, you can click “Submit.” If you don’t, just save the session and submit the observations when you do. You can also email a CSV file to yourself.
Thank you for your submission! Now, you can optionally add a picture of your sightings or add a map and share your post with the world. If you choose to share, a story will be created on the Marine Debris Tracker website.
Plastic Pollution: Sea to Source
Geography of Plastic
Travel thousands of miles with a plastic drinking bottle to learn about plastic pollution and understand how it harms the ocean.
EDUCATION IS KEY
Find ways to engage people of all ages through formal and informal learning
DEBRIS TRACKER APP GUIDE
This guide tells the story of the plastic pollution crisis and includes step-by-step instructions for taking action through Debris Tracker data collection. This guide is also available in Portuguese, Spanish, and French.
DEBRIS TRACKER CITIZEN SCIENCE TO LOCAL ACTION GUIDE
This Debris Tracker Citizen Science to Local Action Guide is designed to inspire community-based efforts. Local data on plastic pollution can be used to help design solutions that take into account the particular circumstances of a community.
PLASTIC POLLUTION ACTION JOURNAL
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DEBRIS TRACKER DATA SHEET
This sheet can be printed out and used for data collection and analysis with or without the Debris Tracker app. This is a good tool to use if you do not have access to technology.
STORIES, STUDIES, & IMPACT
Plastic pollution is reaching a critical point; use these resources to teach students about the urgent issue of plastic in our waterways.
Even one of the most remote places on Earth couldn’t hide from the scourge of plastic trash.
Plastic. It’s super useful but it’s also a big problem for the environment. Enough plastic is thrown away every year to circle the earth four times! The main issue is that plastic doesn’t break down, meaning it sticks around for a very long time. This video gives a quick overview of the scope of the plastic problem and what some people are doing to try to solve it.
Dr. Imogen Napper is a marine biologist studying microplastics in different bodies of water. Dr. Napper hopes to identify ways of stopping the influx of plastic into our waterways.
Jenna Jambeck shows us how using geospatial data can help us solve daily problems, big or small, all around the world.
Lillygol Sedaghat (Lilly for short) is a multimedia storyteller at the intersection of science, systems, and people. She joined the “Sea to Source: Ganges” expedition on the Ganges River to talk to local people about why and how they use plastic. The data she collects about the social and economic factors that result in plastic being put in the river’s holy waters will not only help protect the famously polluted Ganges, but will give us insights into plastic pollution around the world.
We’ve all heard about plastic ending up in the ocean, but how does it get there? Join marine scientist and National Geographic Explorer Imogen Napper as she shows us just how the “Sea to Source: Ganges” Expedition team is tackling the ocean plastics problem. From land to water to exploring the socioeconomic behaviors around plastics – it is a multi-team endeavor to try and identify the root of the problem along one of the largest river systems. And hopefully, find a solution.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IS TAKING ACTION
Find out more about ongoing scientific research and a multi-year campaign at National Geographic
Learn more about and join National Geographic’s multiyear effort to raise awareness about the global plastic trash crisis.
Contribute research data to help tackle the plastic pollution crisis.
POWERED BY MORGAN STANLEY
PHOTOS: TOP IMAGE: KATHRYN YOUNGBLOOD