Gulf of America Partnership ETAP Materials
A mobile version of EPA’s Escaped Trash Assessment Protocol called the “Gulf of America Partnership” is now accessible via the Marine Debris Tracker (MDT) application, available for free on all smartphones. A Standard Operating Procedure and companion materials were developed to help ETAP users adapt to using an application platform (or combination of app and paper) for categorizing and analyzing collected debris. The materials below were designed for use by Gulf stakeholders but are consistent with EPA’s ETAP, with a more detailed fishing section in the item list and additional data prompts concerning nearshore work to meet the needs of Gulf stakeholders.
Download the Standard Operating Procedures for the Gulf of America Partnership List (pdf) for background information on how to use the Gulf of America Partnership ETAP list, a step-by-step guide for using the MDT to log collected data, and an appendix of several supplementary materials including a printable data card and reference sheet.
The Gulf of America Partnership ETAP List Excel Spreadsheet Tool (xlsx) is a data entry tool which can be used in company with the SOP to record, manage, and analyze data collected in the field using the ETAP methodology.