Stef Barney

New and Improved AMDI App Launch

Stef Barney

The Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) is set to launch its new and improved Marine Debris and Litter Collection App on March 31st at 9 am!

Since its establishment in 2004, AMDI has been at the forefront of addressing marine debris and litter issues across Australia. This national marine debris database has recorded over 23 million items to date, thanks to each and every person who has contributed!

The upgraded AMDI App boasts advanced features that allow for more efficient data collection and analysis. Users can now record data anytime, anywhere, using the app’s advanced project management and monitoring methodologies, item detail features, and data insights.

The new app is available on Google Play, the Apple App Store, and the web, making it more accessible to users. What’s even more exciting is that the upgraded app comes with new and improved features, including personal insights, an extensive search function, and simple mapping.

With personal insights, users can track their progress and see the positive impact they’re making with each clean-up. The extensive search function allows for faster data entry by enabling users to search for items, categories, locations, and organisations. Simple mapping enables users to drop pins along their clean-up track, and AMDI will calculate the distance for them.

These new features (plus many more) have been designed with user-friendliness in mind, making it easier for users to log their clean-up data quickly and efficiently.

This upgraded AMDI Marine Debris and Litter Collection App is a game-changer, making it easier and more efficient to address marine debris and litter issues across Australia. So, mark your calendars for March 31st at 9 am and join the marine debris warriors.

Greta Beach 2022 Group Shot with Rubbish
Stef Barney

Successful IOT Grant to help Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island Marine Parks

Stef Barney

Tangaroa Blue Foundation is one of 17 grantees chosen to deliver projects that will support the recently proclaimed Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands marine parks.

The new marine parks protect 744,070 square kilometres of incredibly unique and ecologically significant marine habitats and species.

Tangaroa Blue Foundations “Indian Ocean Territories Marine Debris Initiative” will build on existing marine debris datasets and include the implementation of our robust monitoring methodologies so that we can work alongside the community and key stakeholders to measure the impact of policy change around plastics from a state, national and international perspective.

Tangaroa Blue Foundation’s WA Project Coordinator, Casey Woodward says “this is such a great opportunity to diversify the way in which we support and share knowledge with the Indian Ocean Territory community and other stakeholders to tackle key threats like marine debris to marine life and amenities. We have really focused the components of the project on capacity building and data analysis and we cannot wait to get started!”.

Some of the other complimentary projects that will be undertaken include:

  • Supporting the Christmas Island community to protect the iconic red crabs during their annual breeding migration
  • Restoring seagrass habitats to provide an ecosystem nursery for fish and other species
  • Surveying resident foraging sea turtles, their habitats, diets and movement, with a focus on green turtles
  • Researching and monitoring coral reef health and diversity, including comparing them with the diversity of reef species from other locations.

Tangaroa Blue are grateful to those that provided letters of support and volunteered their time to add value to our application. We are looking forward to the rollout of a successful programme doing our part to preserve and protect marine life in Western Australia.

This project was made possible via the Australian Governments Ocean Leadership Package supporting the Indian Ocean Territories (IOT) Marine Parks Grant.

Stef Barney

Rig Recycle Seeks to Reel In Victoria Fishing Litter

Stef Barney
  • Victorian fishers can now recycle their unwanted and broken fishing tackle.
  • Tangaroa Blue’s Rig Recycle Program collects fishing line, reels, sinkers, spools and spool packaging so it can be repaired, reused and recycled.
  • The program is supported by Sustainability Victoria’s Circular Economy Fund and will see 60 recycling bins deployed at key locations across the state.
  • The Australian Marine Debris Initiative Database shows fishing litter is one of the top 10 items recovered during community clean-ups.   

Read more “Rig Recycle Seeks to Reel In Victoria Fishing Litter”

Stef Barney

Ditch the Flick comes to the City of Wyndham

Stef Barney
Tangaroa Blue Foundation is joining forces with the City of Wyndham to launch this campaign which aims to encourage behavioural change in cigarette butt disposal amongst the local smoking population.
 
Litter data collected from 23 stormwater drains across the City of Wyndham during the Let’s Strain the Drain Project was recorded in the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database. The data identified cigarette butts as a main litter source and provided evidence for a source reduction plan.
 
Given the success of ‘Ditch the Flick’ campaigns in other locations, the City of Wyndham decided to implement this source reduction plan to address their cigarette butt litter.
 
Ian Anderson Rubber Crumb
Stef Barney

The Dangers of Playground Rubber Surfaces

Stef Barney

The momentum is building with another council agreeing with our rubber crumb assessment report that recycling tyres into soft fall rubber crumb is not fit-for-purpose for children’s play areas.

ABC News has written a great article talking about these dangers.
You can read the full article here

This comes on the back of the release of the Tangaroa Blue Rubber Impact Report 2021 and the ReefClean AUSMAP Rubber Crumb Loss Report 2021 which highlighted the extent of rubber crumb loss at parks along the Great Barrier Reef.

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