We’re forming partnerships with park stewardship groups and workforce development teams, city agencies, and waterfront advocacy groups. In close coordination with our partners we are developing stewardship training and education programs about marine debris prevention and capture. 

To help with the actual debris removal, we have also partnered with 2 interceptor manufacturers: EKKOPOL, manufacturers of the DPOL, and Ranmarine, makers of the Wasteshark. The DPOL is meant to remain in one spot, while the Wasteshark, an autonomous aquatic drone, can be piloted around. We chose these two interceptors to allow for a customized solution for specific sites, based on water conditions, access, location of debris, and our community partners’ needs. 

Our goal is to:

(1) deploy marine debris removal devices across the five boroughs in NYC parks and other access points to the water, in partnership with local stewards.

(2) develop a consistent and accurate citizen science based monitoring systems   

(3) clean the water! 

(4) engage our communities to learn about marine debris and how they can help prevent it

(5) create a hyper-localized workforce training program for young adults. We’ll work with advocacy and community groups that run programs at or are adjacent to our sites, to recruit young adults that live and know their own neighborhoods, fostering the concept of community stewardship. 

What we are doing now:

• Holding demos in partnership with organizations to raise awareness about our program, and about marine debris. 

• Fundraising and grant writing to develop and run our education and cleanup efforts. 

Please get in touch if you’d like to join our efforts. Email us at marinedebrisfieldkit@gmail.com

OUR PROGRAM 

Wasteshark Demo at the RETI Center, Aug 2024