The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Army's dive team cleared 32 tons of debris from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands over the Fourth of July weekend.

The Coast Guard returned today from a 2,900 mile mission to Maro Reef, Kure and Midway Atoll, but along the way removed as much marine debris as it could from the waters surrounding the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, as it is also known.
"Protecting our natural resources is one of the Coast Guard's many missions," said Eric Roberts, Coast Guard marine protected species program manager, in a prepared statement. "America's marine waters and their ecosystems are vital to the health, well-being and economy of the nation."
Each year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates that more than 50 tons of marine debris enters the Northwest Hawaiian monument area. Since 1996, more than 540 metric tons of debris have been removed from the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.