Survey Coversheet

NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project

Survey Coversheet

Complete ONE per survey
Record data at https://mdmap.orr.noaa.gov

SITE NAME:

Name used for the 100- meter site in the MDMAP database

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION:

Name of all participants (include email if you wish to receive MDMAP
updates from NOAA)

DATE:

MM/DD/YYYY

TOTAL SURVEY DURATION:

Include travel time to/from the site

K-12 GROUP?

Is the team a student
group?

HH:MM

yes
no

TEAM COUNT:

The total number of participants involved in the survey

Record additional participant information in the notes

RECREATORS:

Upon arrival, how many people
are in the 100-meter site?

0-10
11-50
51-100
>100

NOTES:

WEATHER NOW:

(Check one)

sunny

FIRST TIMERS:

For how many participants is it their first MDMAP survey?

DRAIN INPUT:

Is there a storm drain,
pipe, or channelized
input within the
100-meter survey site?

partly cloudy
mostly cloudy
light rain/precip

TRASH CANS:

yes
no
present and
overflowing

Are trash cans present
or not? If present, what
condition are they in?
(Check one)

present and
NOT overflowing

DEBRIS REMOVAL:

all/most

not present

heavy precip

Describe interesting items from outside surveyed transects, abundance of debris
smaller than 2.5 centimeters, changes to site, evidence of cleanup, sampling
issues, etc.

Was debris removed from
the 100-meter site (not just
the survey transects)?

some
none

SURVEY PHOTOS:

List timestamp, photo number, or other information to
keep track of photos from the survey

SURVEY QUICK REFERENCE

Before beginning, refer to the Monitoring Toolbox and Survey
Guide at https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/monitoring-toolbox

Before you go:

• Select FOUR random transect start points
• Check the weather and tides (aim for a low or outgoing tide)
• Confirm that you have all datasheets, survey supplies, and
safety gear

At the survey site:

• Estimate the number of recreators within the 100-meter site
as you arrive
• Record the survey coversheet data
• From the site start, use a measuring wheel or meter tape to
find and mark the start of each of the four transects with a
flag or other marker

For each transect:

• Complete a transect datasheet (front and back)
• The search should be conducted by no more than two
people walking the perimeter of the 5-meter transect and
looking in
• Count and categorize debris that is at least 2.5 centimeters
(bottle cap or larger) - smaller items can be described in the
“notes”
• Record items 2 meters into the “back barrier” separately
from the “main beach” (see diagram to right)

Before leaving:

• Note the total survey duration on the Survey Coversheet
• Note where and how much debris was removed within
the 100-meter site on the Survey Coversheet and Transect
Survey Forms
• Gather all supplies

When a new person joins the team:

• They should shadow transect set-up and search, and
conduct a “consistency check” for debris categorization
before collecting data independently

Example of a survey transect.

Reminders:

• Fragments are unidentifiable broken items larger than
2.5 centimeters
• Material selection should be based on what is predominant
on the surface of the item
• Surveys can be paired with beach cleanups, but wait until
after data collection is completed

We recommend photos of:

• All the debris laid out with a ruler for scale (one photo per
transect) if debris is removed
• Close-ups of any unidentifiable, interesting, or difficult to
categorize items
• Items that are too large to remove, as you found them
• Include a ruler for scale!