Transect Survey Form

NOAA Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project

Transect Survey Form

Complete four per survey, one for each transect
Record data at https://mdmap.orr.noaa.gov

SITE NAME:

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

TRANSECT START:

0-95 in 5 meter increments (0, 5, 10, etc.)

SLOPE:

Standing at the water’s edge
the back barrier height is:

DATE:

BEACH WIDTH:

MM/DD/YYYY

Water’s edge to the back barrier (meters)

PRIMARY SUBSTRATE:

BACK BARRIER:

mud/silt

dune

vegetation

sand

cliff

wall/structure

pebble/gravel

boulders

dense driftwood

cobble

parking lot

other

Check the predominant substrate

knees and below
knees to shoulders
shoulders and above

Landward limit of the site (check one)

(describe in notes)

other (describe in notes)

SEARCH TEAM SIZE:

Number of people searching for debris
in this transect (no more than 2)

DEBRIS REMOVAL:

How much debris was removed
from the transect?

CONSISTENCY CHECK:

Was a consistency check conducted?

1

all/most

yes

2

some

no

Take close-up photos of items
where there was not a consensus
on categorization, and describe in
the notes below.

none

TRANSECT PHOTOS:

List timestamps, photo number, or other information
to keep track of photos from this transect

NOTES:

Describe unique or “Other/unclassifiable” items, pulses of debris
items, large items left behind, etc.

ITEM COUNTS
FRAGMENTS

PLASTIC

(2.5 centimeters or larger)
main beach

SEARCH TIME:
(Local time)

METAL

back barrier

Film

Metal fragments

Foam

Aerosol cans

Hard

Aluminum/tin cans

Bags

Other metal

SINGLE-USE

Beverage bottles

GLASS

Bottle or container caps

Glass fragments

Cups (incl. polystyrene/foam)

Beverage bottles

Food wrappers

Jars

Other jugs & containers

Other glass

Straws
Utensils

Rubber fragments

Six-pack rings

Balloons (latex)

TOBACCO

Cigar tips

Flip flops

Cigarettes

Gloves (rubber & latex)

Disposable lighters

Tires

FISHERIES

RUBBER

Buoys & floats

Other rubber

Lures & line

PROCESSED WOOD

Rope & nets

OTHER

main beach

back barrier

main beach

back barrier

main beach

back barrier

main beach

back barrier

main beach

back barrier

Lumber & building

Personal care products

Paper & cardboard

Shotgun shells & wads

Paper bags

Other plastic

Other processed wood
main beach

back barrier

FABRIC
Fabric fragments
Clothing & shoes
Face masks
Gloves (non-rubber)
Rope & nets (natural fiber)

OTHER

End HH:MM

Cardboard cartons

Balloons (mylar)

CUSTOM

Start HH:MM

main beach

back barrier

Towels & rags
Other fabric