EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Participants in the Mid-Atlantic Marine Debris Colaborative offer links and downloadable educational materials for people of all ages to learn about marine debris. Whether you are a formal educator or just interested in learning more, there are general and region-specific resources available.
An article written specifically for elementary - high school students on microplastics. Abstract: Scientists have discovered that microplastics are polluting many environments worldwide, including our oceans and coastlines. Some of these plastics will make their way into a particularly important environment—coastal sediments, or the layer of mud below the water. This sediment is home to diverse bacterial life, which plays a key role in nutrient cycles of the ecosystem. These bacteria are critical for healthy environments, but are also easily affected by environmental pollution. Unfortunately, little is known about how the bacteria respond to microplastic pollution. We studied the effects of different microplastics on bacteria living in marine sediments, as well as the subsequent impacts on nutrient cycling. We found, for the first time, that different microplastics can significantly alter these bacterial communities and the nitrogen cycle, which should be studied further to understand lasting impacts on our natural environments. Access the full article here.
Working in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary, Ocean Conservancy created Good Mate, a public outreach program aimed at reducing and eliminating marine pollution and environmental degradation. The program provides simple, easy-to-follow guidelines for green boating and in recent years has expanded to include free resources to support marinas, boaters, and paddlers as they conduct shoreline or on-the-water cleanups. There are also posters, brochures, and other cleanup resources available via the Ocean Conservancy website link or contact Ocean Conservancy directly. www.OceanConservancy.org/goodmate
These colorful, engaging activity books were created by Prince George’s County, Maryland, with funding from the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Follow along as Spencer the Sprout learns about how litter becomes marine debris and ways to make a difference in your community. Each book features content and activities ideal for a different age group, from kindergarten through high school. Dive into the world of Spencer the Sprout by downloading activity books appropriate for grades K-12, and learn more about the work of Prince George’s County at the Spencer the Sprout website.
Activites and curricula for all ages and audiences are available at the NOAA Marine Debris Program's website. These resources focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) standards and were developed or funded by the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Both formal and informal educational resources are available.
Maryland Sea Grant, and partners, developed resources for educators as part of their Biofilms and Biodiversity education programming, which now includes resources on the observation and isolation of microplastics from biofilm samples. The development of a Content Primer on microplastics provides the necessary background on this global issue of concern. Access all the materials here.
Oceanic Global's NYC Hub created this book to serve as a reminder that artistic expression and creative communication play a crucial role in the ocean conservation movement, and that our next generation of ocean leaders is engaged and dedicated to finding solutions. Use this book as an engaging educational tool to teach young people about marine plastic pollution and how we all can be a part of the solution. The Book is available for sale at the Oceanic Global website and available to educators for free. https://shop.oceanic.global/
The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded a study with Abt Associates to better understand the economic impacts of marine debris on beaches. The results of the study showed that the varying amounts of marine debris on beaches can have an impact on the number of days visitors spend on those beaches, resulting in changes to the amount of tourism dollars spent, the number of local jobs, and the value of beach recreation. You can access the infographic here.
An education experience geared for youth in formal and informal education settings, exploring marine debris composition, transportation, cleanup and most importantly, prevention. Created by Ocean Conservancy with guidance from the NOAA Marine Debris Program and inspired by 35 years of International Coastal Cleanup data. If you are interested in hard copies of the materials (guide, posters, etc), please contact Ocean Conservancy skollar@oceanconservancy.org. www.OceanConservancy.org/ed