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Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Hurricane Dorian left tons of hazardous debris off the coast of Abaco. A Marine debris programme is restoring ecosystems & livelihoods

By UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica

June 9^th, 2022

Teams snorkeling for debris dumped by Hurricane Dorian were transferring a piece of sheet metal to a boat, when an octopus suddenly jumped in and scuttled for cover. Minutes later, another wrapped its tentacles around the arm of Friends of the Environment intern, Makayla McIntosh.

The team had disturbed their new habitats, hidden from sight in construction material thrown undersea in 2019, by Hurricane Dorian's 185-Mile-per hour winds.

It ends well for the two creatures: The team located the elusive octopus, and Makayla unwrapped the other from her arm. Both were restored to the sea, unharmed, in compliance with a compassionate rule in their operating procedures. Later, the crew returned below water to clear away the rest of the captured habitats.

This is life in Abaco's territorial waters in 2021, two years after a category five hurricane.

Juliette Deal, former UNDP Debris and Waste Management Specialist for UNDP's Hurricane Dorian Recovery Programme and IDEA Relief, engaged in debris removal with Jason McIntosh at Green Turtle Cay, Abaco, The Bahamas. (Photo: Juliette Deal/UNDP)

Diverse items – some organic, some hazardous – are displaced on land and sea where they can endanger human life, eco systems and marine life. Unsuspecting creatures make these items their new habitats.

The octopuses provided amusing interludes in an otherwise serious undertaking.

Removal of marine debris is a critical intervention in the wake of a hurricane.

Removal of marine debris is particularly critical in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that rely on tourism and their natural assets, for economic growth.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Abaco, hardest hit by Dorian

Abaco, hardest hit by the category five storm, is The Bahamas’ second largest economy and a tourism hotspot. It’s world-renowned for its Barrier Reef systems, freshwater lenses (limestone filtered water systems), blue hole systems, old growth forests, and stunning beaches.

Debris can damage these assets and potentially challenge economic restoration.

Photo: Justin Nuland/Getty images

Photo: Colin Davis/Getty images

Hazard removal critical

Juliette Deal, Debris Management Consultant who headed Government’s debris management efforts in 2020 to 2021 supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), says debris like boats, cars and refrigerators can release toxic chemicals into the food supply chain, contaminating the natural environment. “This has biological implications as generations of creatures can start to exhibit tumours and deformities”, she explains

Debris can also crush coral reefs and other ecosystems such as mangroves, impacting their regrowth and marine populations.

Juliette Deal on duty at Cash For Work debris removal cleanup at a teacher's cottage in Murphy Town in Abaco.

In Abaco, marine debris obstructed navigation corridors, which damaged evacuation, and personal vessels helping recovery efforts as well as cargo vessels. Debris removal was therefore a priority for post hurricane recovery and mandatory for life underwater, lives and livelihoods.

In partnership with the Government and IDEA Relief, UNDP financed a Rapid Marine Debris Assessment spearheaded by Juliette, to determine the volume, type and location of potential hazards in order to guide the safe removal of waste from the marine environment.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

800 square miles assessed

Field work focused on an 800 square Kilometre area of transportation corridors with active boating traffic, harbours and coastlines along communities and the most heavily impacted regions.

Marine debris locations were recorded with cameras and a paper-based data collection tool innovated by Juliette, with potential scalability to a software application.

GIS maps produced externally, guided teams throughout the debris sites and were included in the final report to provide definitive locations to the debris.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

"Marine debris locations were recorded with a paper-based data collection tool, with potential scalability to a software application".

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

The report has guided several debris-removals involving the collaborative efforts of the Disaster Reconstruction Authority, Friends of the Environment, IDEA Relief, Bahamas Protected Area Fund, Bahamian Environment Protection Foundation and C & C Waste Management which provided the barge to tow large items in Elbow Cay.

One debris removal initiative financed by UNDP at Green Turtle Cay over 25 days and employing hurricane-impacted residents in cash for work, collected 450 cubic yards of debris. A second debris removal in Elbow Cay also used the report, collecting 270 cubic yards of debris. Later marine debris removals spearheaded by IDEA Relief in Grand Cay, Man-O-War and Marsh Harbour netted 1720 cubic yards of debris.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

936 tons collected, guided by Report

Dive and snorkeling teams removed sheet metal, appliances, construction material, pilings, car batteries, electronics, radios, air conditioning units, ladders, trees, tyres among other items. Some boats and cars, potential sources of chemical and metal contaminants have been removed by Local Government agencies working with NGO’s. The majority remain, awaiting decontamination work before removal and additional funding.

Juliette’s calculations indicate the equivalent of 936 tons, or 1.8 million pounds of marine debris has been collected in marine debris removal efforts, guided by the assessment report. This estimation does not include cars and boats.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

An estimated 936 tons or 1.8 million pounds of marine debris have been collected, guided by the rapid assessment report.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Cleanup crews pulled sheet metal, appliances, construction material, pilings, car batteries, electronics, radios, air conditioning units, ladders, trees, tyres, from the sea

Report critical resource for removals

“The assessment supported by UNDP gave local communities the necessary information to triage and direct efforts where they were most needed when resources became available to help”, states Olivia Patterson Maura, Deputy Executive Director, Friends of the Environment, a Bahamas-based Non-Governmental Organization.

As a team member of the Friends of the Environment-led pilot clean up at Mermaid Reef, an important site near Marsh Harbour, Olivia says she is already seeing a difference.

“We are happy to say that almost three years later the reef is in fair condition and providing critical services, like habitats for spiny lobster, sea turtles, eagle rays, and multiple species of parrotfish and other reef fish.

"Because the assessment was completed and follow up marine debris removal implemented, other coastal areas of Abaco are also experiencing recovery in the same way as Mermaid Reef,” she says.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

“The (Rapid Marine Debris) assessment supported by UNDP gave communities information to triage & direct efforts where they were most needed ...”

WATCH: Juliette summarizes the marine debris removal in 2 minutes

How The Bahamas removed 936 tons of marine debris guided by a Marine debris assessment report - A 2-minute watch.

“We are happy to say that almost 3 years later the reef is in fair condition and providing critical services, like habitat for spiny lobster, sea turtles ... — “We are happy to say that almost 3 years later the reef is in fair condition and providing critical services, like habitat for spiny lobster, sea turtles ..." - Olivia Patterson Maura (Photo: Blueorangestudio)

"Because the (Rapid Marine Debris) assessment was completed and follow up removal implemented, (some) coastal areas of Abaco are experiencing recovery ... "

Both land & sea debris cleanups critical

Juliette emphasizes that debris clean-ups should be conducted both underwater and on land. “it’s very important to adopt a whole systems approach. Once everybody is evacuated and safe, marine and terrestrial assessments should be conducted very quickly after the disaster," she says.

Terrestrial assessments point expert crews to hazards that can cause fires, atmospheric pollution, vector borne diseases and contamination of water supplies and eco systems on land. As an example, one major fire raced through the pine forest in central Abaco and was headed towards several communities severely impacted by hurricane Dorian. Emergency fire crews were able to avert disaster.

Debris fires raced through this nearby pine forest in Abaco, endangering several communities severely impacted by hurricane Dorian. Fire crews were able to save the communities.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

UNDP ready to support climate resilient future

UNDP Resident Representative Denise E Antonio says the organization remains committed to supporting the Bahamas’ restoration priorities in pursuit of a climate resilient future. “This will be important as climate change generates more frequent and powerful storm systems that threaten lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure,” she says.

Marine debris is still underwater, or floating untethered in many parts of Abaco’s coastal seas. Adequately funded strategic clean up and decontamination programmes will be critical to complete the restoration of Abaco after hurricane Dorian’s landfall.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Hurricane Dorian made landfall in Abaco on 1 September 2019 as the strongest category five hurricane in the country's recorded history. Approximately 60 percent of residential and commercial structures were destroyed or severely damaged in the capital of Abaco and the outer cays. Critical infrastructure was also destroyed.

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Turning the Tide on Marine Debris

Footnotes

Text by Gillian Scott, UNDP Communications Analyst. Debris and Waste Management Specialist for Hurricane Dorian Recovery project, Juliette Deal.

FootNotes

Text by Gillian Scott, UNDP Communications Analyst. Debris and Waste Management Specialist for Hurricane Dorian Recovery project, Juliette Deal.

© 2026 UNDP Multi Country Office in Jamaica

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