Introduction

COI’s Environmental Plastic Assessment Program (EPAP) addresses one of today's most pressing environmental concerns: Marine/Aquatic Debris. EPAP blends beach cleanups with research, enabling volunteers to collect data in the field. Our aim is to clean beaches while systematically assessing and monitoring plastic pollution to inform future policies for sustainable change. Over the past fourteen years, EPAP has engaged citizen scientists at beaches around the world.

EPAP provides a simple, low-cost way to measure how much and what types of plastic are accumulating over time. This information supports public awareness, scientific research, and education, turning concern into evidence-based action.

EPAP methods include the Coastal Cleanup Survey (Beach Cleanup), which records all plastic and non-plastic items removed from the environment (including streets, creeks, and wooded areas); the Macro-Debris Rib Survey, which documents large plastic items along shorelines; and the Micro-Debris Survey, which identifies smaller, fragmented plastics often overlooked.

Why EPAP Matters

Marine debris severely impacts ocean health, with plastic pollution being a primary offender. Through COI's EPAP, we seek to enhance our understanding of plastic pollution's sources, distribution, and volume across different regions. This comprehensive approach enables local communities to target pollution sources and improve waste management practices effectively.

How EPAP Works

• Community Engagement: EPAP invites schools, businesses, environmental organizations, and the public to “adopt a beach” and conduct field surveys using our protocol. This initiative is crucial for communities aiming to minimize their plastic footprint.
• Training and Tools: COI provides a comprehensive training guide, training video, and data sheet, ensuring proper adherence to protocol and accurate data collection and recording. Participants upload survey results to our database for comparison with other locations.
• Impact: By volunteering just 2-3 hours per month, teams can gather valuable data, offering insight into plastic pollution trends and effectiveness of local mitigation efforts.
  

Key Achievements

• Extensive Reach: Since its inception in 2012, EPAP has expanded its reach from the Monterey Bay Region to Lake Tahoe, Oregon, and Hawaii, as well as international locations including Ulithi Atoll and Cuba, showcasing the program's adaptability and impact.
• Community Engagement: Hundreds of local college students and citizen scientists have been trained in our EPAP methods, contributing significantly to our understanding and documentation of beach plastic pollution, as well as producing hundreds of experienced plastic pollution ambassadors.
  

Join the EPAP Team!

Are you looking to make a positive impact on global plastic pollution? By joining EPAP through our Beach Adoption Program, you become part of a global effort to understand and combat plastic pollution while actively protecting your local shoreline. You can also join our Internship program - learn more here!

Your journey will start by exploring our training guide to learn proper survey protocols. Once trained by our staff, you will utilize the EPAP field kit and datasheets to collect valuable data. After completing your surveys, you’ll input your findings into the EPAP spreadsheet, and we’ll add them to our Online Database to strengthen global understanding of plastic pollution trends. 

For more information, please contact David Schwartz, COI Education Director, at [email protected].

Support EPAP

Join our 2026 campaign to raise $70K for EPAP. Your support enables us to train more citizen scientists, clean more beaches, and gather data that drives local and global change. Together, we can make a difference for our oceans' future. To contribute, please specify “EPAP” in the “Message of Support” on our donation page.