Debris Science on the Oakland Estuary:The Eagle Has Landed
Meet Madeline, an Oakland Estuary sailor and newly minted Eagle Scout from Troop 402.
What You See from the Water
From a sailboat, the Oakland Estuary looks different than it does from land. Madeline learned that in her sophomore year of high school, when she started sailing its waters. As she passed quiet stretches of shoreline, she kept seeing trash: bottles, wrappers, and plastic piled along banks inaccessible from land. Nobody cleaned them because the shoreline was difficult to reach. So Madeline began forming a plan. At first, she envisioned a boat-based cleanup. She didn't know it yet, but just down the shoreline, we at I Heart Oakland Alameda Estuary (IHOAE) had been working on the same idea for some time.
It Started in Fourth Grade
Madeline's concern for the ocean began in fourth grade, when her teacher, Ms. Tang, showed the class a video about plastic pollution and microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. That year, Madeline joined her school's Blue Crew, where students shared ideas for reducing plastic waste. She still calls it one of the best experiences of her life. That passion eventually led her to IHOAE and choosing the Oakland Estuary for her official Eagle Scout project.
A Happy Coincidence
When Madeline found IHOAE, she didn't know we were a subrecipient on a grant administered by the City of Oakland in partnership with NOAA to address marine debris in the Estuary. Through this work, we had identified 10 marine debris hotspots along the Estuary and begun bringing NOAA's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) to Oakland. MDMAP is a national program that tracks shoreline debris through standardized surveys, and Madeline had been researching it for months.
It Started in Fourth Grade
Madeline's concern for the ocean began in fourth grade, when her teacher, Ms. Tang, showed the class a video about plastic pollution and microplastics in aquatic ecosystems. That year, Madeline joined her school's Blue Crew, where students shared ideas for reducing plastic waste. She still calls it one of the best experiences of her life. That passion eventually led her to IHOAE and choosing the Oakland Estuary for her official Eagle Scout project.
A Happy Coincidence
When Madeline found IHOAE, she didn't know we were a subrecipient on a grant administered by the City of Oakland in partnership with NOAA to address marine debris in the Estuary. Through this work, we had identified 10 marine debris hotspots along the Estuary and begun bringing NOAA's Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) to Oakland. MDMAP is a national program that tracks shoreline debris through standardized surveys, and Madeline had been researching it for months.
Oakland IHOAE NOAA Marine Debris Hotspots
But there was a problem. NOAA's survey guidelines are designed for typical shorelines, like open beaches. The Estuary's banks move through tricky terrain and thick vegetation, with spots that are hard to reach, and tides that constantly shift the shoreline. We knew where the trash collected, but not how to turn those hotspots into consistent survey sites that met NOAA's standards.
So we asked Mehak “MJ” Suji from the environmental consultancy WRA for help.
So we asked Mehak “MJ” Suji from the environmental consultancy WRA for help.
Mehak “MJ” Suji from WRA surveys the Oakland Estuary shores.
Mapping by Paddleboard
WRA marine ecologist Mehak “MJ” Suji lives minutes from the Estuary. She volunteered to take the mapping work into the field, and we joined her on the shoreline.
Using a mobile ArcGIS map, MJ recorded the terrain, where back-barrier vegetation began, and any obstacles that could make a survey unsafe or inconsistent.
She found plenty of debris, along with shorebirds and harbor seals: a reminder of who lives alongside the trash. For MJ, it was a chance to put her expertise to work in her own backyard.
WRA marine ecologist Mehak “MJ” Suji lives minutes from the Estuary. She volunteered to take the mapping work into the field, and we joined her on the shoreline.
Using a mobile ArcGIS map, MJ recorded the terrain, where back-barrier vegetation began, and any obstacles that could make a survey unsafe or inconsistent.
She found plenty of debris, along with shorebirds and harbor seals: a reminder of who lives alongside the trash. For MJ, it was a chance to put her expertise to work in her own backyard.
From Field Notes to Survey Sites
Back at the office, WRA GIS analyst Peter Kobylarz turned MJ's field data into three survey areas. For each area, the team laid out the transects and survey sections NOAA requires. That structure makes the data count: citizen scientists can return to the same spots, measure debris the same way each time, and compare results over years once the data is uploaded to NOAA's MDMAP database. Thanks to WRA, Oakland is now officially on the map!
These maps give us a repeatable framework for the NOAA-funded monitoring, and they gave Madeline a solid place to begin.
Back at the office, WRA GIS analyst Peter Kobylarz turned MJ's field data into three survey areas. For each area, the team laid out the transects and survey sections NOAA requires. That structure makes the data count: citizen scientists can return to the same spots, measure debris the same way each time, and compare results over years once the data is uploaded to NOAA's MDMAP database. Thanks to WRA, Oakland is now officially on the map!
These maps give us a repeatable framework for the NOAA-funded monitoring, and they gave Madeline a solid place to begin.
A mapped shore on the Oakland Estuary bringing the NOAA MDMAP citizen science program to our shores.
Survey Day
Before the first survey, Madeline was nervous. She had a detailed scientific method to master, had to pick the correct time to monitor the site and manage a team of volunteer scouts. Once they reached the shoreline, the nerves disappeared. “The moment we got there and started working, it was fun,” she said.
Working alongside our team, Madeline led the first survey and helped submit the data to NOAA. The project brought together everything she had been building toward: years of concern about plastic pollution, her time on the water, and a real contribution to marine science.
Madeline is 17, a Senior Patrol Leader with Troop 402, and is now officially an Eagle Scout. This path wasn't open to young women until recently: girls couldn't join Scouts BSA until 2019, and the first female Eagle Scouts were recognized in 2021.
Before the first survey, Madeline was nervous. She had a detailed scientific method to master, had to pick the correct time to monitor the site and manage a team of volunteer scouts. Once they reached the shoreline, the nerves disappeared. “The moment we got there and started working, it was fun,” she said.
Working alongside our team, Madeline led the first survey and helped submit the data to NOAA. The project brought together everything she had been building toward: years of concern about plastic pollution, her time on the water, and a real contribution to marine science.
Madeline is 17, a Senior Patrol Leader with Troop 402, and is now officially an Eagle Scout. This path wasn't open to young women until recently: girls couldn't join Scouts BSA until 2019, and the first female Eagle Scouts were recognized in 2021.
The Eagle Has Landed
The project worked because each partner brought something different to the shore. We brought the NOAA-funded monitoring effort and the broader mission of establishing standardized marine debris monitoring along the Oakland Estuary. WRA brought the science and mapping expertise to make a difficult shoreline surveyable. Madeline brought years of commitment to the waters she sails and the initiative to turn that commitment into action.
Congratulations, Madeline, on earning your Eagle Scout rank! Thank you to MJ, Peter, the whole WRA team, and everyone who made this project possible.
If you are interested in joining the MDMAP Citizen Science team, contact IHOAE.
This project is supported by a 2024 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program.
The project worked because each partner brought something different to the shore. We brought the NOAA-funded monitoring effort and the broader mission of establishing standardized marine debris monitoring along the Oakland Estuary. WRA brought the science and mapping expertise to make a difficult shoreline surveyable. Madeline brought years of commitment to the waters she sails and the initiative to turn that commitment into action.
Congratulations, Madeline, on earning your Eagle Scout rank! Thank you to MJ, Peter, the whole WRA team, and everyone who made this project possible.
If you are interested in joining the MDMAP Citizen Science team, contact IHOAE.
This project is supported by a 2024 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program.
OCT / 2026
Text author:Mary Spicer
