MARINE DEBRIS CLEANUP PROJECT
MARINE DEBRIS FORMS
CONTACT INFORMATION
The Merbok Legacy Marine Debris Cleanup Project
Kawerak received a three year grant to address debris with coordinated clean up efforts in the Bering Strait Region due to the impacts of Typhoon Merbok.
The Marine Debris Cleanup Project includes funding to address debris in ten communities.
Communities included: Nome in the Nook area/Safety sound; Golovin; (White Mountain Flats); Brevig Mission, Teller, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, St. Michael, Shishmaref, Stebbins and Elim).
Project Timeline
Year 1, 2025: focus on 2 communities – Nome area, White Mountain
Year 2, 2026: focus on 4 communities
Year 3, 2027: Focus on remaining 4 communities.
A major component of this project is the ability to locate debris prior to cleanup events.
We understand that a lot of cleanups have been done since the storm. What we would like to focus on is the hard-to-reach debris that were pushed up by storm surges that are still in the environment.
We are interested in taking any information you might have or have seen over the last two years while out in the country boating, fishing, camping, and berry picking. Bulky items, small items the more we catalog now we can look for during the cleanup efforts.
In order to do this we need your help! If you have been out and around outside of these communities, along the coast, in the sounds and waterways, etc and have noticed any major debris (large items or many small items) we would really appreciate if you can let us know! Our inventory of these locations will help guide our clean up efforts. Use the link Marine Debris Report Form to submit your report.
Projects Year 1:
Safety Sound & White Mountain
Safety Sound Cleanup
Project staff hosted a community meeting on July 16th in Nome to plan for an effective cleanup in Safety Sound. We asked residents to locate where debris has been seen, as well as surveyed camp owners on what was lost or washed away. Meeting participants could identify areas on a large map, utilized to plan cleanup efforts. Opportunities for debris location was also available online for people who could not make the meeting.
Kawerak partnered with Village of Solomon and Sitnasuak for land permission and to coincide with the annual cleanup of the area sponsored by Sitnasuak.
Safety Sound Cleanup officially started on August 2nd, but preparation took weeks and months before. Preparation included a training for staff July 28-August 1. When the cleanup began, efforts focused at first on the Nuuk area to help remove debris from the beaches as well as support camp owners in removing any remaining debris from their campsites. The following week, the Kawerak crew, along with a hired worker from Solomon, continued cleaning the beaches from the East side of the Safety Sound bridge to the mouth of the Bonanza River. Even the youth at Solomon youth camp got a lesson in marine debris and cleanup efforts on August 5th.
In total, almost one square mile was cleaned! Debris collected was brought back to the sorting center to be sorted and weighed before being sent for recycling. We are excited with our progress, and hope to make more!
Map of the Areas Cleaned in Safety Sound
Meeting Pictures
Cleanup Pictures
White Mountain Cleanup
Community meetings were held in White Mountain August 22nd and Golovin August 26th. These meetings were to determine locations and concentrations of debris, locations desired most by the community to get cleaned up/debris removal, and the best logistics on access and removal of the debris. The meetings were well attended and lots of information was shared! Program staff also utilized helicopter hire to identify areas of large debris or undocumented debris in the area to ensure effective clean up efforts.
The cleanup effort was done on September 24th and 25th. Over these two days we cleaned a 4 mile stretch and removed about 2,320 pounds of debris. Included in the debris were eighteen 55-gallon oil drums and one 500-gallon oil drum among other assorted debris. Staff from Nome and locally hired staff worked together and got creative using sleds, ATVs and boats to access the debris in the remote location referred to as “Dog Channel” .
Image of 4 mile area of clean-up known as “Dog Channel”
We very much have appreciated the support and cooperation from the local communities, as well as the White Mountain and Golovin Corporations and Tribes.
Map of the Areas of Focus for Cleanup as determined by White Mountain and Golovin communities.
Meeting Pictures
Clean Up Pictures
Marine Debris FACTS
The Merbok Legacy Marine Debris Cleanup Project
Kawerak received a three year grant to address debris with coordinated clean up efforts in the Bering Strait Region due to the impacts of Typhoon Merbok.
The Marine Debris Cleanup Project includes funding to address debris in ten communities.
Communities included: Nome in the Nook area/Safety sound; Golovin; (White Mountain Flats); Brevig Mission, Teller, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, St. Michael, Shishmaref, Stebbins and Elim).
Project Timeline
Year 1, 2025: focus on 2 communities – Nome area, White Mountain
Year 2, 2026: focus on 4 communities
Year 3, 2027: Focus on remaining 4 communities.
A major component of this project is the ability to locate debris prior to cleanup events.
We understand that a lot of cleanups have been done since the storm. What we would like to focus on is the hard-to-reach debris that were pushed up by storm surges that are still in the environment.
We are interested in taking any information you might have or have seen over the last two years while out in the country boating, fishing, camping, and berry picking. Bulky items, small items the more we catalog now we can look for during the cleanup efforts.
In order to do this we need your help! If you have been out and around outside of these communities, along the coast, in the sounds and waterways, etc and have noticed any major debris (large items or many small items) we would really appreciate if you can let us know! Our inventory of these locations will help guide our clean up efforts. Use the link Marine Debris Report Form to submit your report.
Projects Year 1:
Safety Sound & White Mountain
Safety Sound Cleanup
Project staff hosted a community meeting on July 16th in Nome to plan for an effective cleanup in Safety Sound. We asked residents to locate where debris has been seen, as well as surveyed camp owners on what was lost or washed away. Meeting participants could identify areas on a large map, utilized to plan cleanup efforts. Opportunities for debris location was also available online for people who could not make the meeting.
Kawerak partnered with Village of Solomon and Sitnasuak for land permission and to coincide with the annual cleanup of the area sponsored by Sitnasuak.
Safety Sound Cleanup officially started on August 2nd, but preparation took weeks and months before. Preparation included a training for staff July 28-August 1. When the cleanup began, efforts focused at first on the Nuuk area to help remove debris from the beaches as well as support camp owners in removing any remaining debris from their campsites. The following week, the Kawerak crew, along with a hired worker from Solomon, continued cleaning the beaches from the East side of the Safety Sound bridge to the mouth of the Bonanza River. Even the youth at Solomon youth camp got a lesson in marine debris and cleanup efforts on August 5th.
In total, almost one square mile was cleaned! Debris collected was brought back to the sorting center to be sorted and weighed before being sent for recycling. We are excited with our progress, and hope to make more!
Map of the Areas Cleaned in Safety Sound
Meeting Pictures
Cleanup Pictures
White Mountain Cleanup
Community meetings were held in White Mountain August 22nd and Golovin August 26th. These meetings were to determine locations and concentrations of debris, locations desired most by the community to get cleaned up/debris removal, and the best logistics on access and removal of the debris. The meetings were well attended and lots of information was shared! Program staff also utilized helicopter hire to identify areas of large debris or undocumented debris in the area to ensure effective clean up efforts.
The cleanup effort was done on September 24th and 25th. Over these two days we cleaned a 4 mile stretch and removed about 2,320 pounds of debris. Included in the debris were eighteen 55-gallon oil drums and one 500-gallon oil drum among other assorted debris. Staff from Nome and locally hired staff worked together and got creative using sleds, ATVs and boats to access the debris in the remote location referred to as “Dog Channel” .
Image of 4 mile area of clean-up known as “Dog Channel”
We very much have appreciated the support and cooperation from the local communities, as well as the White Mountain and Golovin Corporations and Tribes.
Map of the Areas of Focus for Cleanup as determined by White Mountain and Golovin communities.
Meeting Pictures
Clean Up Pictures
Marine Debris FACTS