Marine debris cleanup removes 47,000 pounds of trash from Papahānaumokuākea

Oct 09, 2026

Crews have pulled 47,000 pounds of trash out of Hawaii's remote marine monument, good news for the coral reefs and sea life there.

  • More than half the haul was abandoned fishing nets tangled in coral reefs.
  • Crews also collected close to 3,000 pounds of plastic off the shorelines.
  • Five green sea turtles caught in nets were cut free and rescued.
  • This was the third and final cleanup trip of the season.

Outlook: Back on Oahu, crews will now sort the debris for recycling or burning.

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