Featured Archives - Page 4 of 5 - Tangaroa Blue Foundation

Australian Marine Debris Initiative upgrade announcement

My name is Heidi Tait, and I am the founder and CEO of Tangaroa Blue Foundation. For more than 18 years, Tangaroa Blue Foundation has coordinated the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (known as the AMDI), creating a national network for citizen scientists, organisations and partners to collaborate on the removal and prevention of marine debris from our ocean ecosystems. The evidence provided by the AMDI network has influenced the narrative and focus on marine debris within Australia, from a marginal

23 September 2022

Learn How to Contribute Data to the AMDI Database

The Tangaroa Blue data team recently presented an online training session covering the importance of collecting data on marine debris from clean-ups and monitoring activities. The presentation included how to use the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database to contribute data from beach and estuary clean-up activities. The AMDI Database was created to enable volunteers and organisations who were running beach clean-up events to collect data on what they were finding with a consistent methodology. The training highlights the importance

20 September 2022

AMDI Partner Highlight – Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort

Over the past ten years, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort has been a valued contributor to the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI), recently hitting an amazing milestone in their efforts to help protect the Great Barrier Reef. Guests and staff have removed over 20,000 items and 578 kg of marine debris from the Island. The AMDI Database shows the top 5 items collected over the past ten years were: The source of this debris has been determined to come from

20 September 2022

AMDI Data Informs State of the Environment Report

The much-anticipated State of the Environment Report 2021 was released in July, revealing the harrowing decline of Australia’s environmental health and the need for swift and bold action. The report included maps and statistics derived from data collected through the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI), which was used to highlight the extent of the marine debris issue around the country. The report recognised the growing plastic waste crisis our oceans are facing, with plastic pollution identified as one of the

6 September 2022

2021 ReefClean Report: 31.2 tonnes of debris removed

The 2021 ReefClean Report showcases another successful year of the program. Ninety organisations, volunteer groups, schools and Traditional Owner groups participated in the 2021 ReefClean project. At 335 clean-up events, over 31.2 tonnes of debris was removed by 2,633 volunteers over 1,775 hectares. Volunteer effort was particularly high in the southern Fitzroy region, with 310 volunteer occasions for a total of 1,308 hours in 2021. Using the data collected from these clean-ups and entered into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database, 21 source reduction

5 September 2022

8.2 Tonnes of Debris Removed From World Heritage Listed Site

4WD Queensland volunteers held their annual Fraser Island (K’Gari) Clean Up in late May, marking 21 years since the event was first established. This year an astonishing 8.2 tonnes of debris was removed over the two days, which is 2 tonnes more than last year. These incredible results were achieved by 751 participants, who attended in 350 vehicles representing 23 affiliated 4WD clubs from all over southeast Queensland. The enthusiastic crew were faced with strong winds, heavy rain and foggy

5 September 2022

Important Safety Reminder – Dangerous Items

In recent weeks, there have been several reports of silver canisters being found during beach clean-ups. These items are considered extremely dangerous and must be reported immediately by calling 000. These canisters are filled with aluminium phosphide, a toxic combination of chemicals that are fatal to ingest or inhale. One of the most concerning aspects of these canisters is that they have no label, and for the curious mind they are tempting to pick up. The most recent sighting was

5 September 2022

Monitoring methodologies to standardise citizen science data

In an Australian first, the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) has released monitoring protocols for litter and marine debris. These proven methodologies have been developed in collaboration with experts from UNSW, UTAS, SCU, MU as well as the Tangaroa Blue Foundation data team. They offer a standardised approach for citizen scientists collecting this important data on a national scale.

5 September 2022

NT proposes ban on helium balloons in Australian first

Thanks to the tireless efforts and lobbying from conservation partners, community organisations and the general public, 7 out of 8 Australian states and territories have now pledged to end single-use plastics. The types of plastics vary slightly from jurisdictions, but any step to remove millions of plastic items from ending up in either landfill or our oceans is a step in the right direction. Most recently (2022) the Northern Territory joined the list, releasing their NT Circular Economy Strategy 2022-2027

5 September 2022

Global Plastic Pollution Agreement: A historic moment

Did anyone else get a little emotional watching the video as the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) reached a resolution to create an intergovernmental committee to negotiate and finalise a global treaty on the plastics crisis by 2024? More than 100 countries attended the UNEA summit- either in person or virtually in Nairobi, Kenya. The United Nations have described this landmark announcement as “the most significant green deal since the 2015 Paris climate agreement” and have also stated the need

5 September 2022

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