A short film by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Gnam has been released by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, highlighting the issues and cleanup efforts in Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument in Hawaii.
The film is both stunning and tragic at the same time, and while the natural beauty of the islands and their surrounding waters is amazing, the amount of marine debris in those waters and on the shoreline is heartbreaking. Due to their geographic location, the islands act as funnel, gathering up a huge amount of debris that is dropped all over the Pacific Rim.
A cleanup project organized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Marine Debris program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in Papahanaumokuakea removes a staggering 52 metric tons of debris every year. The debris includes a host of plastics as well as a substantial amount of abandoned fishing gear which greatly endangers the life of marine animals and seabirds.
You can watch the video and find out more information here.
