education

One of the best things about citizen science is the opportunity to get involved with your local community while making a difference on a broad scale. There are so many impactful projects you can take part in as a citizen scientist, whether you are looking for a long-term commitment to keep a local shoreline clean or want to make a positive impact when doing things you love. Check out these ways to get started.

Spring is here! As the temperatures increase and weather improves, many of us are drawn to the outdoors. But what if your trip to the beach could be more than just an enjoyable day? What if you could do scientific research at the same time as a citizen scientist? Opportunities for the public most often come in the form of data collection, but they can also include providing input on questions to investigate, participating in study design, or interpreting and sharing results. Several projects funded through the NOAA Marine Debris Program have tapped into this community resource as well, and committed stewards around the country have contributed invaluable data to monitoring and research projects that support our vision of a sea free of debris.

School cafeterias offer students daily lunch choices, but school-provided meals can generate serious waste. Students in rural northeast Michigan took a closer look at their lunchroom waste as part of a “Food for Thought” project led by the Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative, the Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan, and Michigan State University Extension. They performed a lunch waste audit to investigate their lunchroom trash and to brainstorm solutions that prevent plastics from becoming marine debris in the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Americans are using their local green space and parks more than ever. Getting outside is not only good for your physical health, but also your mental health. That is why National Public Lands Day feels even more special this year. This day celebrates the connection between people and public lands in their community and encourages environmental stewardship and the use of open space. 

As students and teachers prepare for a new year of learning, we are sharing educational marine debris resources that highlight the problem in different locations and different languages. Marine debris is a constant and challenging threat to communities all over the world. It can travel on currents across the ocean, reach remote shorelines where very few people live, and cause major problems for both people and wildlife. No matter where you live, it's important for us all to understand the problem.

Many things look different in our world right now: most people are working from home, our favorite restaurants and beaches are closed, and students finished off the school year online. So, where does that leave Turtle Trash Collectors, a University of North Carolina Wilmington MarineQuest outreach program funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program?

People all over the world are concerned about marine debris and they would like to know more about it. The NOAA Marine Debris Program’s Communications Team responds to those questions we receive through email, and we’ve seen a trend. Following the National Ocean Services theme of Ocean Trivia for this week, we have created our own marine debris “trivia questions” that we hope you enjoy!

Locally sourced seafood is particularly important for island communities as they depend on the ocean for food and economic opportunities. This connects the health of the marine environment with overall public health. Such is the case in American Samoa, where local seafood is regularly consumed and where marine debris, including microplastics, has been identified as a priority pollutant.

You don’t need to live by the coast or the Great Lakes to learn about marine debris. The NOAA Marine Debris Program (MDP) has free activities, videos, and more available online. On the MDP website, there is a dedicated section with resources and activities for all ages, where you can view activity books and browse lesson plans.

Students in Prince George’s County, Maryland are leading the way in marine debris prevention and cleanup in their community. Through the Alice Ferguson Foundation’s Watershed Leadership Program (WLP), more than 400 students from seven local high schools have learned about plastic pollution and executed school-based action plans to prevent marine debris.