Cape York is a marine debris hot spot, with Northern Queensland receiving the largest volume of litter in Australia. First Nations Rangers are key actors in managing marine debris as the Traditional Custodians of the Land and Sea Country in Cape York. However, there is a gap in understanding the challenges and enablers of marine debris management in this region and how best to work together to address the problem. Creating genuine partnerships, trust, and collaboration with Ranger Groups within the bounds of university ethics structures in short time frames can be challenging. Using Tangaroa Blue as a conduit, we participated in marine debris clean-ups forming connections with local Ranger organisations. By being genuine, prioritising relationship building over data collection, completing research in person, and thoroughly and openly discussing reciprocity, we have created meaningful research together. This poster will outline the steps we took to meet, engage, and work together with First Nations Ranger groups in Cape York, including engagement methodology, fieldwork protocols, data collection, reciprocity and return of data. The poster will also outline best practice protocol between academia and First Nations Practitioners, discussing input received from the communities involved, detailing their preferences for future collaboration.