Few marine debris monitoring programs have explicitly applied statistical methods in their design, limiting data value and applicability. Here, we describe the NOAA Marine Debris Program's strategy for designing a scientifically robust monitoring survey in the United States to estimate shoreline debris status and trends. Key principles of experimental design are emphasized and applied across four phases: frame, design, monitor, implement and learn. Informed by a power analysis with spatially balanced site selection, the design includes 62 sites in each of 10 regions; 12 sites visited annually with quarterly replication and 50 sites visited once every five years (no within year replication), yielding reliable estimates of annual status and declining trends of 25% to 50% over an 11-year duration. This design may not be directly transferable, the underlying methodology can be tailored to suit alternative contexts. Practitioners should consider monitoring as a rigorous scientific endeavor to improve management value. • Effective shoreline marine debris monitoring programs should be question-driven. • NOAA's new nationwide design balances statistical power and operational feasibility. • Power analysis and GRTS informed a spatially balanced, 620-site, 11-year design. • A regionally stratified approach improves data for guiding management decisions. • Short and long-term outcomes allow for early, meaningful, return on investment.
Uhrin et al. (Sat,) studied this question.