Marine debris is a widespread pollution problem in the ocean and waterways. Understanding where, how much, and what kinds of debris are present in the marine environment is important to help combat the problem. This knowledge, along with an understanding of how the amount of marine debris on shorelines is changing over time, is essential to developing new and effective strategies for prevention, education, and outreach.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) uses participatory science to gather data that supports and expands that knowledge, and has released a new resource for educators that would like to integrate these practices into their learning environment through Making a Marine Debris “MAP”: A Guide to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project for Educators (Guide).
The Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) is NOAA’s flagship initiative to measure the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines. MDMAP volunteers survey and record the amount and types of marine debris on shorelines. By participating in MDMAP, volunteers generate critical data on marine debris, and join a dynamic, collaborative community. Anyone can volunteer, you just need access to a shoreline!
When surveying shorelines and contributing data to MDMAP, volunteers are actively planning and carrying out investigations, developing and using models, and analyzing and interpreting data—critical practices in the Next Generation Science Standards. Students who participate in MDMAP have a unique opportunity to not only act out these practices in authentic and meaningful ways, but also to recognize Next Generation Science Standards concepts in action, including cause and effect, patterns, systems, and scale.
The NOAA Marine Debris Program created the Guide to MDMAP for Educators as a resource for educators who are interested in implementing MDMAP surveys with their students. The Guide provides instructions and tips for participating in MDMAP and planning, conducting, and following up on monitoring surveys with student groups.
The Guide to MDMAP for Educators is full of in-depth information to support educators and students who are interested in participating in MDMAP, including:
Learning objectives and standards alignment for MDMAP activities and lessons
Place-based considerations for site selection and student leadership
Guidance for conducting MDMAP surveys, including a variety of interdisciplinary concepts introduced through survey activities
Data entry and analysis guidance and action-based learning based on student-generated data
Survey worksheets and directions designed specifically for student use and needs, including station rotations and opportunities for student leadership
Interested in joining this growing network with your students? Dive into the Guide to MDMAP for Educators and the many resources available to support new volunteers, including the MDMAP tutorial video series and more in the Monitoring Toolbox. At any point, reach out to project staff at md.monitoring@noaa.gov with questions. See you on the shore!