LvEPA
                United States
                Environmental Protection
                Agency
                Office of Water
  *,      __________
Turnin

A Learning
  EPA842-B-92-003
  Fall 1992
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rash
                                               arine Debris
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Turning the Tide on Trash
A Learning Guide on Marine Debris
                      Recycled/Recyclable
                      Printed on paper that Contains at least 50% recycled fiber

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    Special thanks are extended to the following individuals for their help in the devel-
opment and review of this learning guide: Marcy O'Dell of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency  (EPA),  who served as  Project  Manager;  David  Redford of
EPA's Ocean Dumping and Marine Debris Section; and EPA's Regional Marine Debris
Coordinators.

    Thanks also are extended to members of the Gulf of Mexico Program's Marine De-
bris Subcommittee; John Neville, Joan Tornell, Abby Bookhultz,  and Lovyann Gal-
loway of Prince George's County Public Schools; Mary Agnes Sisti, Margaret Billy, and
Joan Broadway of Montgomery County Public Schools; Jeffrey Bryant of the Monterey
Bay Aquarium; Steve Cochrane of the Haywood Shoreline Interpretive Center; Leslie
Grelle of the California Marine Mammal Center; Betsy Schrader and Katie Patterson of
the Center for Marine Conservation; Maureen Healey and Ron Bruner of the Society of
the Plastics Industry, Inc.; and James Coe and John Clary of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
    Thanks also are extended to  the Center for Marine Conservation, which donated
the photographs appearing in this guide. Individual photographers are credited through-
out the guide. The cover photograph was taken by Matthew Stone.
    This document was prepared for EPA's Oceans and Coastal Protection Division un-
der EPA Contract Number 68-CO-0068 by Eastern Research Group, Inc., Lexington,
Massachusetts.

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                       Table of  Contents
 Overview	jj
 How to Use This Learning Guide	£v
 Matrix of Activities by Learning Skill	vi
 Matrix of Activities by Subject	vii
 Let's Talk Trash: A Litter Survey	
 UNIT I — The Definition, Characteristics, and Sources of
           Marine Debris	
     Coming to Terms with Marine Debris	8
     Trash Traits	12
     A Degrading Experience!	15
     Roots and Routes of Marine Debris	19
     The Trails and Trials of Trash	24
     Waste Inventory	   27
UNIT II —The Effects of Marine Debris	31
     Circle of Danger	\	35
     All Tangled Up  	37
     How Harmful Is It?	   40
UNIT III — Developing Solutions and Spreading the Word	43
     Nations and Neighbors  	50
     Clean Sweep	5^
     Campaign for a Clean Future	59
     Private Investigations	62
     Circulating Solutions	64
Appendix A — Glossary	57
Appendix B — Resources	59
Appendix C — Clip Art	75

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                                 overview

   The vast oceans that cover over two-thirds of our planet are extraordinary resources.
These waters provide a home for thousands of species of plants and animals. They are
important to people because they yield an abundance of tasty and nutritious; foods. In
addition, we  appreciate the oceans for the great beauty and recreational pleasures they
offer.
   The oceans of the world, however, currently are under considerable pressure. We ex-
pect oceans to support our fishing industries and coastal economies, provide recreational
opportunities, and serve  as a  nurturing home  for marine  plants and animals. At the
same time, we use these waters as a receptacle for our trash and other wastes.
   Unfortunately, the vastness of the world's oceans seems to have caused people to
overestimate  their ability to safely absorb wastes. "While it is true that oceans can safely
absorb pollutants and wastes to some degree, this ability is limited. This is particularly
true now, when part of our solid waste stream is made up of synthetic materisds that can
remain in the environment for many years. Also, as  more and more  people move near
our  nation's coasts,  and the  production of trash continues to increase, it is likely
the amount  of trash entering our oceans will  rise. For these reasons, it is  important
that we act now  to keep trash off our beaches and preserve the quality of l:he marine
environment.
    In the past, Utter on beaches and in waterways was considered an  eyesore—unpleas-
ant to look at, but otherwise harmless. More recently, however, people have come to re-
alize that in the marine environment such debris also  has serious impacts  on wildlife, the
environment, and our economy. For  example, thousands of marine animals  are caught
in and strangled by debris each year. Coastal communities also lose money when littered
beaches must be closed or cleaned upj and the fishing industry must spend thousands of
dollars annually for the repair of vessels that are damaged by debris.
    People who Utter are a significant source of marine debris. This litter sometimes di-
rectly becomes marine debris when it is discarded in the ocean or on the beach. Litter
discarded hundreds of miles inland also can become marine debris when it is carried by
streams, rivers, or sewers into the ocean. An important message of this learning guide is
that any trash that is improperly disposed of potentially can get into the ocean or other
waterways, and anyone who improperly disposes of trash can be a source of marine de-
bris!  It is our hope that once people are educated about the sources  and effects of ma-
rine debris, they will be less likely to contribute to the problem.
    The lessons in this learning guide are designed to increase students' awareness of the
impacts of marine debris and to teach them about pollution prevention techniques. At
the same time, the activities strive to inspire an appreciation of the ocean and a commit-^
ment to the preservation of its water quality, beauty, and wildlife.
    Although this learning guide focuses on marine debris, trash  is found in other
aquatic environments (such as ponds, lakes, rivers,  and streams) as well. Most of the
concepts associated with marine debris apply to all aquatic debris. Therefore, the use of
this learning guide should not be limited to coastal areas. Teachers in inland communi-
ties can replace the term  marine debris with aquatic or waterborne debris.

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    Marine debris is not the only form of marine pollution. Marine pollution also in-
cludes things like sewage, oil, gasoline, toxic chemicals, and pesticides that are released
or run into the ocean. Unlike most of these marine pollution problems and other envi-
ronmental issues, children can play a direct and significant role in reducing the marine
debris problem. Every child that learns to dispose  of trash properly can be  one less
source of litter and marine debris. Every child that volunteers to participate in a beach
cleanup campaign can help to improve the current marine debris situation.
    Also, as with any complex  problem, education is the first step to a lasting,  effective
solution. Since marine debris is an issue that will require constant attention for genera-
tions to come, it is essential that education start with the decision-makers of the future,
our children. EPA hopes  that this learning guide,  along with your efforts, will help to
ensure the future welfare of our oceans by instilling in our young people an environ-
mental ethic that will last a lifetime.

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            How  to Use  This  Learning  Guide

    Turning the Tide on Trash: A Learning Guide on Marine Debris is an interdiscipli-
nary guide designed to provide maximum flexibility in the classroom. The guide can be
used as a stand-alone teaching tool, or individual activities may be used to supplement
work in other subject areas.  The learning guide opens with  an exercise, "Let's Talk
Trash: A Litter Survey," that encourages students to think about their own behaviors
and attitudes with respect to  litter. This survey provides a basis for students to under-
stand their contribution to the marine debris problem and will help teachers draw stu-
dents into activities presented later in the guide that deal with the sources and effects of
marine debris.
    Following the litter survey are the learning guide's three teaching units:
  I  The  Definition, Characteristics, and Sources of Marine Debris. In this unit,
     students will examine what marine debris is, where it comes from, and how it en-
     ters the marine environment.
 II  The Effects of Marine Debris. This unit explores the  effects of marine debris on
     wildlife and coastal communities, and the potential hazards it poses to humans.
Ill  Developing Solutions and Spreading the Word. In this unit, students; will learn
     about steps they can take to prevent marine debris, investigate what individuals and
     organizations are doing about the problem, and explore ways to  educate others
     about possible solutions.
Each unit is composed of the following parts:
    Unit  Opener. Each unit begins with a one-page opener that lists a series  of ques-
    tions  conveying the concepts that will be covered in  the unit. These questions will
    be answered in the course of reading the background material and performing the
    activities.
    Background Information. Several pages of background reading present general in-
    formation that will prepare the educator to present  the activities that fallow. Key
    points are summarized at the end of the background material.
    Facts from the Deep. Throughout the learning guide,  short features highlight in-
    teresting facts or  statistics about the problems of marine debris in the ocean  and
    coastal  environment. Educators can use "Facts from the Deep" as additional back-
    ground information or to stimulate thought-provoking classroom discussion.
    Activities. Each unit contains  three to six hands-on, interactive activities;. Activities
     cover a range  of academic subject areas and are cross referenced across units as ap-
     propriate. Each activity has the following parts:
        Objective. A  statement describing the learning goal of the activity.
        Activity. A short description lof what the activity will  consist of and how it will
        be performed.
        Vocabulary. A list of new words necessary to understand the concepts presented
        in the activity. These words  are introduced and printed in boldface type in the
        background information and defined in the glossary.
                                        IV

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         Materials. A bulleted list of all materials, including suggested handouts, that
         will be needed to perform the activity.

         Subjects. The academic subject areas the activity encompasses, including Art,
         Language Arts, Mathematics, Music, Science, and Social Studies.
         Learning Skills. The cognitive or behavioral skills students will exercise by per-
         forming the activity.

         Duration. Approximately how long the activity will take to perform.
         Procedure. A description  of how to perform  the  activity, including questions
         that guide discussion and any necessary handouts, illustrations, diagrams, or re-
         producible masters.

         Other Directions. Suggestions for additional related activities that expand upon
         or enrich the concepts learned. Each activity  has  one to three "Other Direc-
         tions," which often offer ways  to present the concepts using different academic
         skills or disciplines.

    The learning guide also contains additional tools, in the form of three appendices, to
 supplement instruction in the three teaching units and to provide additional resources.
 Appendix A is a glossary that contains definitions of the key terms that are introduced
 and printed in boldface type in the background information. These terms  are also pre-
 sented as new vocabulary at the beginning of activities. Appendix B is a listing of recent
 publications, posters, videotapes, and films that may enhance certain lessons or may be
 presented as additional background or enrichment. Appendix C contains Clip Art illus-
 trating types of marine debris, sources, preventive efforts, recycling, and other examples
 of marine debris effects and solutions. These pages can be reproduced easily to use as
 graphics for certain activities or to design your own projects. Clip Art also can provide
 ideas from which students can develop their own illustrations.
    The reproducible Clip Art found in Appendix C, as well as the masters of charts, ta-
 bles,  and illustrations found throughout the guide,  can  be used in a variety of ways.
 They are designed so that they can be photocopied easily for classroom  distribution, but
 they  also may  be used as guides for displaying information on blackboards or white-
 boards, flipcharts, or  bulletin boards. Students also can create their own materials based
 on these masters.

    As a final note, keeping a collection of different types of marine debris in a box in
 the classroom will come in handy when introducing students to the characteristics of
 marine debris and its effects. In  addition,  activities throughout  the learning guide call
 for the use of actual items of marine debris, if they are available.  For students who may
 not have the opportunity to  visit aquatic environments, seeing and handling actual de-
 bris may give them a  better understanding of its potential effects. Adding this hands-on
aspect also gives activities a real-world focus and helps spur students' curiosity and moti-
vate them to learn.
                                        v

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Activities by Learning Shill












Analyzing
Calculating
Classifying
Collecting Data
Comparing/Contrasting
Decision-Making
Experimenting
Hypothesizing
Interviewing
Observing
Public Speaking
Reading
Researching
Visualizing
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      VII

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            Left  Talk  Trash:  A  Litter Survey

    Students will learn in Unit I of this; learning guide that litterers are a major source of
marine debris. This survey will allow teachers to find out if and why students litter. At
the same time, it will allow students to examine their own habits and attitudes with re-
spect to littering.
    Before teaching the first activity of the learning guide, ask students the questions on
the Litter Survey. Use the spaces provided in the "before learning guide" section to note
how many students answer each question "yes" or "no." After completing the learning
guide, ask the students the same questions again and fill in the "after learning guide"
section of the survey table. (Note:  Another option is to photocopy enough copies of the
survey for each student in the class. Have the students fill in the survey and hand it in
anonymously after the learning guide has been completed. This way,  the students can
finish the survey without feeling pressured to answer in the "right" way.)
    The "before learning guide" and "after learning guide" answers to the first two ques-
tions may not change for most students. Teachers therefore may opt to  only ask those
questions for the "before learning guide" section. However, students will learn during
the learning guide  that there are many types  of littering. Students who never tossed
trash on the ground but put it down a storm sewer, for example, may change their "be-
fore learning guide" answer to question #1 from "no" to "yes."  Consequently, teachers
may want to ask these questions" again after the learning guide has been completed.
    While teaching this learning guide; teachers can use the "before learning guide" sur-
vey answers to draw students into discussions of marine debris by emphasizing their  di-
rect role in the problem. In addition,  teachers may compare  "after learning guide"
answers with "before learning guide" answers to determine if students' attitudes toward
littering have been affected by this learning guide. Students also can compare these sets
of answers to examine if and how their own attitudes have changed.      :
    Once the  "after learning guide" section of the survey has been completed, discuss
with students if and how their attitudes about littering have changed. Ask the students
if they will make more of an effort ^not to litter now that they  have learned about
marine debris.
                                       VIII

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                                        Litter  Surv
                                          BEFORE
                                      LEARNING GUIDE
                        AFTER
                    LEARNING GUIDE
              QUESTIONS
YES
NO
YES
NO
 1.  Have you ever littered?
 2.  If yes, why?
    A. It was convenient.
    B. Didn't think it was bad.
    C. Didn't care.
    D. It was an accident.
 3.  Have you ever made a special effort
   not to litter?
4.  If yes, why?
    A. Litter is ugly.
    B. Someone else has to pick it up.
    C. Litter hurts animals and people.
    D. It is illegal.
5.  If you saw someone else litter you would .
    A. Tell him/her to stop.
    B. Pick up the litter yourself.
    C. Tell someone (like a teacher or a
       police officer).
    D. Do nothing.
        D
                              D
D
                                    IX

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    What is marine debris?
    > What characteristics of trash
affect how easily it becomes
marine debris?
    'What characteristics affect
how long debris remains in the
marine environment?
   'What are the sources of
marine debris?
    5 How does debris get into the
marine environment?
   >What are some ways to
reduce or prevent marine debris?
                                              Unit 1
                              The  Definition,
                              Characteristics,
                              and  Sources  of
                               Marine Debris
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Unit I
The Definition,
Characteristics,
and Sources of
Marine Debris
   Marine debris is trash that gets into the marine environment as a  result of careless handling or
disposal Two characteristics of trash, its buoyancy and ability to be blown around, affect how easily trash
becomes marine debris, while the ease with which trash degrades dictates how long it  remains in the
marine environment. There are several sources of marine debris, both on the ocean and on land. Careful
collection, handling, and disposal of trash, as well as attempts to reduce the amount of trash that must be
disposed of, can help to reduce the marine debris problem.
What  Is Marine Debri§?

   Marine debris includes all the objects found in die
marine environment (which consists of not only die
ocean, but also salt marshes,  estuaries, and beaches) diat
do not naturally occur there. Although items such as
tree branches and the bones of land animals can be con-
sidered marine debris, the term generally is reserved for
trash (articles that have been made or used by people
and discarded). The most common categories of marine
debris are plastic, glass, rubber, metal, paper, wood, and
cloth.
   Since 1988, the Center for Marine  Conservation
(CMC) has organized and  sponsored an annual Na-
tional Beach Cleanup Campaign. Volunteers in all of
the coastal states, as well as some of the states border-
ing the Great Lakes, collect marine debris and record
their  findings. CMC compiles these data and publishes
the results, which have shown that significant quantities
of marine debris litter U.S.  coastlines. In 1991, the  12
most frequently collected marine debris items were:
1) cigarette butts,  2) plastic pieces, 3) foamed plastic
pieces, 4) plastic food bags  and wrappers, 5) paper
pieces, 6) glass pieces, 7) plastic caps and lids, 8) metal
beverage cans, 9)  glass beverage bottles,  10) plastic
straws, 11) plastic beverage bottles, and 12)  foamed
plastic cups. Although plastic is the most common type
of marine debris, all debris causes problems in the ma-
rine environment.

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                                                                                          Unit I
 What  Characteristics
 Affect Whether  I rash
 Enters and Persists in  the
 Marine Environment?
    Two characteristics of trash, buoyancy and abil-
 ity to be blown around, affect how easily the trash
 can enter the marine environment. Another charac-
 teristic, degradability, affects how long the trash will
 remain in the marine environment. The more likely
 it is that a piece of trash will enter and remain in the
 marine environment, the greater the threat it poses
 to people, wildlife, and vessels.
   Buoyant objects are those that float in water.
Buoyant objects are more likely to become marine
debris than those that sink because they can be car-
ried by water. Buoyant items can be washed into the
ocean by heavy rainfall, carried out to sea by rivers
and streams, or picked up off a beach by waves. In
the ocean, buoyant debris causes problems because
it can easily come in contact with marine animals,
humans, boats, fishing nets, and  other objects.
Floating debris also can travel long distances over
the ocean. Consequently, when these items get into
the ocean they can cause problems  over a wide-
ranging area. The most buoyant types of debris are
plastic and some types of rubber. Paper and wood
  from  flic  Deep
 Balloons Can Be Dangerous!

    Every year, thousands of helium-filled balloons
 are released into the air. Some of these balloons are
 released accidentally.  Others are  released in large
 numbers during  weddings,  mall openings,  and
 other kinds of festivities because people think they
 look pretty when they are floating up into the air.
 Although the floating balloons look like they are
 disappearing, they ultimately lose  their helium and
 fall back to earth. Some of these balloons can get in
 the ocean, where they may become a harmful form
 of marine debris. Some marine animals, especially
 sea turtles, have been known to eat balloons.  The
 swallowed balloons can block air passages, possibly
 causing the animals to suffocate,  or may lodge in
 intestinal tracts, where they may disrupt digestion.
 Either way, balloons can be dangerous!

    If balloon releases are conducted in your school
 or community, consider suggesting ways that the
 spectacle can continue without littering and endan-
 gering wildlife. For example, balloons can be re-
 leased in a gymnasium or ballroom rather than
 outdoors. Another idea is to rent a hot air balloon.
The sight of such a large balloon rising into the air
is impressive, and unlike the smaller helium  bal-
loons, you can ride in a hot air balloon!

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Unitl
initially float, but tend to sink once they become satu-
rated with water. Glass, metal, and some kinds of rubber
sink (unless air is trapped inside the article). Cloth items
also tend to sink.
    Items that are blown by the wind can  easily find
their way into the marine environment. Such debris can
be blown directly into the ocean, or can be transported
to the ocean if blown into a river or stream that empties
into the sea. Objects that can be easily blown around are
a particular problem because they can become marine
debris  even when  they are originally disposed of in a
proper manner. For example, a napkin that is thrown in
a trash can at the beach can be blown out of the can and
into the ocean. Paper, as well as some  kinds of rubber,
plastic, and cloth, can all be carried by the wind. During
storms  and other periods of high winds, almost any
kinds of trash (including glass, metal, and wood) can be
blown into the ocean.
    The characteristics  of buoyancy and  ability to be
blown around are generally correlated. Lightweight ob-
jects tend  to float and also are the items  that are easily
blown around. Some lightweight objects will sink, how-
ever, if they become saturated with water.
    An object is degradable if natural forces cause it to
be broken down into smaller pieces. In nature, materials
most commonly are broken down  through a process
called biodegradation. Biodegradation occurs when mi-
croorganisms (such as bacteria and fungi) decompose  a
material, causing it to be broken down into compounds
 (such as nutrients) that can be  reused in the environ-
ment. Temperature and moisture levels affect the speed
of biodegradation. Generally, the higher the tempera-
 tures (up to a certain point) and the greater the moisture
level, the  greater  the rates of biodegradation. Natural
materials usually are more biodegradable than synthetic
 materials.  Plastic, glass, synthetic rubber and cloth, and
 metal  typically are resistant to biodegradation. Natural
 rubber and cloth can biodegrade, but it takes a relatively
 long period of time. Paper also can biodegrade, unless  it
 is coated with plastic or other nondegradable substances.
     Debris that does not easily biodegrade, unless it can
 be broken down into smaller pieces through wave action
 or other environmental forces, remains in the environ-
 ment for a long time and is therefore persistent. Plastic
 and synthetic rubber are the most  persistent kinds of
 marine debris. Glass, foamed plastic, and metal are less
 persistent because even though they are not biodegrad-
able, wave action and rusting can cause them to break
into smaller pieces. Wood, natural rubber, and cloth are
only moderately persistent because they can biodegrade.
Paper is not persistent, because it is biodegradable and
can be ripped easily.

Where  Does Marine Debris

Come From?
    Marine debris comes from  many different sources
(places or activities that  generate the  trash that enters
the marine environment). Any  trash that is improperly
disposed of,  as well as any materials that are improperly
transported or stored, can become marine debris. The
main sources of marine debris are:
    • Beachgoers
    • Improper disposal of trash, on land
    • Stormwater sewers and combined sewer overflow
    • Ships and other vessels
    • Industrial facilities
    • Waste disposal activities
    • Offshore oil and gas platforms
    Every year, thousands of people visit U.S. beaches.
Many of these beachgoers leave behind materials  that
become marine debris, such as food packaging and bev-
erage containers, cigarette butts, and  toys like  shovels,
pails, and frisbees. This trash  can be blown into the
ocean, picked up by waves, oir washed into the water
when it rains.
    Landlubbers also can generate marine debris, how-
ever. Trash can be  blown or washed  directly into the
ocean if it is littered or disposed of carelessly. Even trash
that is generated hundreds of miles inland can become
marine debris  if it  is blown or washed into rivers or
streams and carried to sea.
    Stormwater  runoff  (the  water  that flows along
streets or along the ground as a result of a  storm) can
carry street litter into sewer pipes, which convey this
water and debris to a nearby river or stream, or even di-
 rectly to the ocean. In some areas of the country with
older sewer systems, sewage (l:he wastes  flushed down
 toilets or drains) also is carried in the same pipe system
 as Stormwater runoff. Pipes that carry a combination of
 sewage and Stormwater are known as combined sewers.
 Unlike  independent  storm sewers,   combined sewer

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                                                                                                  Unit I
pipes run to a sewage treatment plant rather than
directly into a nearby body of water. At the sewage
treatment plant,  sewage is  separated  into sludge
(solid waste  materials)  and water. The sludge is
dried and either disposed of in a landfill or treated
and sold  as a fertilizer.  The treated water is dis-
charged into  a river or other nearby waterway, free
of solid waste.
    Combined sewer pipes  cause problems  when
heavy rainstorms cause too much water to enter the
sewer system. When  this happens, the amount of
water in the  sewer pipes exceeds the sewage treat-
ment plant's  handling capacity. To prevent major
operating problems at the plant, a safety overflow
valve diverts the excess water from the  plant into a
nearby waterway.  The problem with  this  system,
however, is that untreated sewage and debris also are
diverted into the waterway.
                       /
    Boats  of all kinds also are sources of marine de-
bris. Sometimes, trash/is  purposefully thrown over-
board. One major reason for the overboard disposal
of trash is that there  is limited storage space aboard
these vessels. Most of the time, however,  trash is
disposed of in the ocean by people who are unaware
of the problems this can cause. Trash can also acci-
dentally fall,  blow, or wash off of vessels into the
water. In addition, fishing nets and lines,  and other
types of equipment, can be  lost at sea accidentally
and become marine debris.
Sunlight & Six-Pack Holders
    Six-pack holders are  a dangerous type  of trash.
Because they have  holes in them,  animals can  get
caught in these devices and get injured or even stran-
gled. In order to reduce this problem, the manufac-
turers of six-pack holders have begun making them
out of a photodegradable plastic.  This plastic  be-
comes brittle and breaks into smaller pieces when it is
exposed to  sunlight. Now, six-pack holders that  be-
come marine debris will degrade relatively quickly,
preventing  many   marine  animals  from  getting
caught. You can help. Before disposing of six-pack
holders at home, cut through the loops to help pre-
vent entanglement of wildlife should the holder enter
the marine environment.

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Unit I
   Industrial facilities contribute to the marine debris
problem when waste items generated by industrial proc-
esses (such as production scraps, flawed products, and
packaging material) are improperly disposed of on land.
Finished products also can become marine debris if they
are lost during loading and unloading at port facilities,
or they are lost when they are transported through wa-
terways or over land. The Society of the Plastics Indus-
try, Inc.  is taking steps  to  control one of the most
common types of marine debris generated from indus-
trial facilities, plastic resin pellets. Plastic resin pellets
are the small spheres that are produced as the raw form
of plastic. They are used  by manufacturing facilities to
make plastic products. During plastic resin  pellet pro-
duction, transportation, and processing, some resin pel-
lets can be released into the environment. As with other
types of trash, wind and stormwater can carry these pel-
lets to nearby water bodies.
   Waste disposal  activities can cause a problem when
trash is lost during collection or transportation, or when
trash  blows or is washed away from disposal facilities.
For example, landfills (which are specially  engineered
sites for disposing of solid waste on land that are con-
structed  to reduce any  hazards  to public health and
safety) can generate marine debris. The trash in landfills
periodically is covered with soil so that it will not be re-
leased into the environment, but the trash can blow or
be washed from the landfill before it is covered up.
   Offshore oil and  gas platforms are structures that
are constructed  in the ocean and form  a  base from
which oil and gas drilling is conducted. Because offshore
oil and gas platforms are surrounded by water, any iteins
that are lost from these structures become marine debjris.
As with  ocean vessels, trash has sometimes been pur-
posefully discarded directly into the ocean-from these
structures. Efforts are being made by oil and gas compa-
nies, however, to prevent the disposal of trash into the
ocean from oil and gas platforms. Typical debris gener-
ated from these platforms includes data-recording tape,
items like drill pipes and drill pipe protectors, hard hats,
gloves, and 55-gallon storage drums.
    Once the debris has found its way into the ocean, it
is very difficult to trace the source of the debris. A plas-
tic cup, for instance,  could have been left by a beach-
goer,  littered in a  city street and been washed into a
storm sewer and out to sea, blown off of a recreational
boat, used on a shipping vessel and disposed of over-
board, and so on. Clearly, marine debris is a complex
problem whose answer will require that many sources of
marine debris be controlled.

Whal Trash  Management

Practices  Can  Reduce  fhe

Marine Debris Problem?
    The United States generates significant quantities of
trash  every year. In 1990, almost 196 million tons of
trash were generated in this'country. About 17 percent
of this trash was recycled. Almost all of the rest was bur-
ied in landfills  (67 percent) or burned  (16 percent).
Disposal means permanently storing or  removing the
trash  from the  environment. Landfilling  and  burning
are considered disposal methods.
    Recycling is one way to reduce the amount of trash
that must be disposed of. Recycling is the collection
and reprocessing of materials so i:hey can be used again.
Before materials can be processed for reuse, they must
be  separated into different types (such as plastic, glass,

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                                                                                                      Unit!
 and metal). In 1990, over 8,000 recycling programs ex-
 isted in the United States. Although recycling has be-
 come widespread,  not every type  of material currently
 can be recycled in every area of the country.
    Currently, paper is the most frequently recycled type
 of trash. Three types  of paper are recycled: high-grade
 paper (such as computer paper), newspaper, and corru-
 gated cardboard.  Metals also are  commonly recycled,
 particularly aluminum cans (most soft  drink and beer
 cans) and soup and fruit cans (which are made from tin-
 coated steel or aluminum  and steel). All types of glass,
 except light bulbs,  ceramic glass, dishes, and plate glass,
 currently can  be' recycled.  Overall, very little  plastic
 waste is recycled at the present time, with the exception
 of plastic milk jugs and soft drink bottles.
    Even  better than  recycling is  to adopt "pollution
 prevention" strategies that produce less waste in the first
 place. Ways to produce less waste include reusing mate-
 rials,  using reusable items  rather than disposable ones,
 and reducing the amount of packaging that is used.
    Steps also can be taken to keep the waste that is gen-
 erated from getting into the  ocean. Most importantly,
 littering should be prevented. Boaters and beachgoers
 should ensure that  trash and other items are not blown
 or washed away. Before trash is left out for collection, it
 should be tightly secured in bags or trash cans. Garbage
 trucks should always be covered, and landfills should be
 fenced in to capture any trash that may  temporarily es-
 cape.  Industrial facilities that produce plastic  resin pel-
 lets can modify handling processes to control the release
 of pellets  into  the  environment. All of these  methods
can help to ensure that trash is put, and stays, in its
proper place.
                 Key Points
 Marine debris includes all objects found in the marine
 environment that do not naturally occur in those areas.
Trash that is  buoyant and/or  easily blown  around is
more likely to become marine debris.
Biodegradable trash, which can be broken down by mi-
croorganisms, stays in the environment for a relatively
short period of time.
There are several sources of marine  debris, including
beachgoers, landlubbers,  storm sewers  and combined
sewer overflows, commercial and recreational vessels, in-
dustrial facilities, waste disposal activities, and offshore
oil and gas platforms.
Proper handling of trash that is generated, as well as re-
cycling and pollution prevention activities, will help to
reduce marine debris.

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Unit I
ObJ6CtiVe: To define "marine
debris" and to learn the types and
amounts of marine debris found each
year in national beach cleanups in the
United States.
Activity! Students bring in different
trash items and define "marine debris"
through a discussion about these items.
Students then categorize debris and
use statistics and graphing to better
understand the types and amounts of
marine debris that are found each year.
              debris, foamed
 plastic, marine, marine debris, trash
 Materials:
 >• Enough copies of the "1 99 1 Beach
  Cleanup Results" handout for each
  student in the class
 >-A large box
 Subjects: Language Arts,
 Mathematics, Science
 Learning Skills: Analyzing,
 Calculating, Classifying, Collecting Data,
 Observing
 Duration:  40 minutes
                                                  Coming  fo  Tcrm§
                                            wlfli  Marine  Debris
   IAsk every student to bring in a nonfood piece of trash. Tell students
   to be sure that the trash is clean and dry, does not have food stuck
to it, and is not sharp. (Note: To prevent accidents, you may wish to
tell students not to bring in glass. Instead, you can bring in a few
glass articles so that the discussion of debris will be complete.)

2   Have each student bring his or her piece of trash to the front of the
   room* display it to the class, and put it in the large box. Ask the stu-
dents what these items have in common. Through this discussion, iden-
tify the  characteristics of "trash" and develop a. definition. Write the
definition on the board. Then ask students to  think of synonyms for
"trash," and help them come up with the term  "debris," List all of the
synonyms on the board.

3   Now that "debris" has been defined;, ask students what "marine"
   means. Write the definition on the board. Ask the students to list
synonyms for marine and write them on the board.

4   Then combine the terms and discuss the meaning of "marine de-
   bris." Write this definition on the board. Use the lists of synonyms
to come up with other terms that describe ;the  concept of "marine de-
bris"  (such as "sea trash" and "ocean waste").

5   Take the pieces of trash out of the box one by one and  ask the
   students to classify the type of  debris they are (plastic, glass,
metal, etc.).

6    Distribute the "1991 Beach Cleanup Results" handouts to the class.
    Inform the students that the Center for Marine Conservation
(CMC) sponsors beach cleanup campaigns all over the country.  Explain
that volunteers record the items they find when diey clean up beaches and
send this information to CMC, which compiles these lists every year.
                                                 8

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                                                                                                   Unit I
7   Ask the students to use the "1991 Beach Cleanup Results" handout
   to make a bar graph comparing the quantities of the different types
of debris (plastic, glass, metal, etc.) collected in the cleanup. Have the
students add the total number of plastic items, the total number of glass
items, etc., to complete the handout. (Note:  If students have difficulty
adding  such  a long list of numbers, you  can  give  them  the totals:
3,464,216  plastic  items;  495,083  glass  items;  98,879 rubber items;
504,063 metal items; 472,711 paper items; 122,384 wood  items; and
53,405 cloth  items.)

8   Next, have students  label the horizontal axis  of the bar  graph  as
   "category of marine debris" and write the different categories under
the horizontal axis in an evenly spaced manner. Have the students label
the vertical axis "number of items collected" and mark the axis from 0 to
3,000,000. Finally, tell  the students to use the  totals  from the "1991
Beach Cleanup Results" handout to complete the bar graph. (Note:  As
a class, you can create a three-dimensional bulletin board to  display the
bar graph. After drawing  the bar graph on a large piece of paper, tack
the paper to the bulletin board. Then glue or tape examples of the types
of trash represented by the bar graph around it.)
   Another option for illustrating the relative quantities of marine de-
bris types is to have the students calculate the percentage each category
represents. First, have the students find the grand total of items collected
in 1991 by adding all the  categories together. Then have students derive
the percentage each marine debris category represents by using this total
and  the totals for each category. Finally, discuss  with students which
categories of marine debris are most common.
                   Ofner Directions
    As a class, conduct your own cleanup activity at  a seashore, lake,
 pond, stream, or river. Have students record the types and numbers of
 debris they find and compile a list similar to the "1991 Beach Cleanup
 Results" handout. (See Unit III for more information  on conducting a
 beach cleanup.) Be sure the items you collect in the cleanup are recycled
 or properly disposed of. Also,  you could clean  up the same area peri-
 odically and compare the quantity of debris collected each time.
    Use the "Trash Stats" handout to familiarize students with current
 waste management issues.
    Either in class or as a homework assignment, ask students to use
 trash items to create a marine debris sculpture. Display the sculptures in
 the classroom or school library.
                                                        9

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      1991   Beach  Cleanup   Re§uU
 PLASTIC
 Bags	  347,263
 Bottles	  240,143
 Buckets	  10,335
 Buoys	  16,096
 Caps/lids	  212,852
 Cigarette butts	  940,430
 Cigarette lighters	  34,501
 Cups/utensils
 Hard plastic	  128,597
 Foamed plastic	  125,008
 Diapers	  12,686
 Egg cartons	8,605
 Fast-food containers	  31,856
 Fishing line	  36,124
 Fishing nets	9,496
 Floats/lures	  13,381
 Foamed plastic packaging	  44,025
 Foamed plastic plates	  23,729
 Hard hats	1,777
 Light sticks	  16,020
 Meat trays	  16,532
 Pieces
 Hard plastic	 344,268
 Foamed plastic	 289,802
 Pipe thread protector	8,033
 Rope	  88,862
 Sheeting	  19,750
 Six-pack holders	  34,492
 Strapping bands	  22,512
 Straws	 191,401
 Syringes	8,280
Toys	  21,770
Vegetable sacks	7,336
Write protection rings	9,148
 Other	 149,106
                 TOTAL=
GLASS
Bottles	 235,224
Fluorescent light tubes	4,561
Light bulbs	  11,766
Pieces	 219,468
Other	 24,064
                 TOTAL =I
 RUBBER
 Balloons	36,164
 Gloves	11,238
 Tires	8,069
 Other	43,408
                  TOTAL=
METAL
Bottle caps	106,626
Cans	237,287
Crab/fish traps	3,795
55-gallon drums	4,587
Pieces	41,204
Beverage can pull tabs	48,670
Wire	 17,535
Other	44,359
                  TOTAL = r          I
PAPER
Bags	38,427
Cardboard	33,450
Cartons	24,727
Cups	46,746
Newspapers	26,393
Pieces	225,297
Plates	21,235
Other	56,436
                  TOTAL=
WOOD
Crab/lobster traps	 7,254
Crates	2,811
Lumber	76,830
Pallets		4,293
Other...	31,196
                 TOTAL =
CLOTH
Clothing pieces.
                                                                        53,405
                 TOTAL =
Data were taken from Cleaning North America's
Beaches: 1991 Beach Cleanup Results, Center for
Marine Conservation, 1992.
                                      1IO

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                                               Trash   SI
Americans are generating more and more trash every year. In 1990, each person in
the United States produced over 4 pounds of trash each day! See if you can work out
these trash math problems to learn even more.

  1. In I960, Americans recycled about 5,900,000 tons of trash. In 1990,  approximately
     33,320,000 tons were recycled. By how many tons did recycling increase from  I960
     to 1990?
  2. If there are four people in a family, and each person throws away five soda cans a day,
     how many soda cans does the whole family throw away in a week?
  3. Of the 196,000,000 tons of trash generated  in the United States in  1990,  about
     16,000,000 tons were plastic. What fraction of the total trash generated was plastic?
     Reduce this fraction.
  4.  Americans  produced 73,000,000 tons of paper waste in 1990. In that same year,
     Americans produced a total of 196,000,000 tons of trash. What percentage of the total
     trash generated did paper make up?
  5.  Of the 196,000,000 tons of trash generated by Americans in 1990, about 67 percent
     was landfilled. How much trash, by weight, was landfilled?
                                       1 1

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Unit I
                                                                     Trash   Trails
Objective:  To learn about certain
characteristics of marine debris and
how these characteristics affect where
marine debris is found in the
environment.
Activity:  Students perform
experiments to examine whether or
not trash can float, blow around, or
wash away. The effects of these
characteristics on the presence of
marine debris in the environment are
then discussed.
Vocabulary: buoyant
Materials:
>• Enough copies of the "Trash Traits
  Results" handout for each student
  in the class
>-Several pieces of plastic,  glass,
  rubber, metal, paper, wood, and
  food trash
>-A bucket filled with water
>-Afan
>-A large, shallow container (such as a
  large dishpan)
>-A watering can
Subjects:  Language Arts, Science
Learning Skills: Analyzing.
Classifying, Collecting Data, Comparing
and Contrasting, Experimenting,
Hypothesizing, Observing
Duration:  40 minutes
    IPass out the "Trash Traits Results" handouts. With the students,
    put the different types of trash (plastic, glass, rubber, metal, paper,
•wood, and food) into separate piles. Have the students name the pieces
of trash. Write the names on the board and have the students fill in the
"Item" and "Type" columns of their handouts.
2
    Fill the bucket with water. Place each trash, item in the water and
    ask the students the following questions:
   • Which items float? Which do not? (Make a list on the chalkboard
     and have the students fill in the "Does It Float?" column on their
     handouts.)
   • What will happen to buoyant items when they get into the ocean?
     What could some of the problems be with buoyant marine debris?
   • What will happen to items that don't float: when they get into the
     ocean?  Is there a tendency for  all of the articles of the same type
     (plastic, paper, metal, etc.) to float or sink?

3    Set up the fan at one end
    of a table. Place each trash
item in front of the fan, one at
a time, to see if it is  blown
around. Ask the students these
questions:
   • Which  items  are  easily
     blown  around? (Make a
     list on  the chalkboard and have the students fill in the "Can It Be
     Blown Around on Land?" column on their handouts.)
   • What blows trash around in the environment?
   • Is there a tendency for all of the articles of the same type (plastic,
     paper, metal, etc.) to be blown  around in a similar way?
                                                    12

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                                                                                                     Unit I
4     Fill the large, shallow container with water and place it in front of the
     fan. One at a time, put each article of trash in the container and turn
 on the fan. Ask the students:
     • Which items are easily  blown around in the water? (Make a list on
      the chalkboard and have the students fill in the "Can It  Be Blown
      Around in the Water?" column on their handouts.)
     • Is there a tendency for all of the articles of the same type (plastic, pa-
      per, metal, etc.) to be  blown around in the same way?

5     Fill the sprinkling can  with water.  Take the sprinkling can and the
     trash pieces outdoors, and find a slightly sloped, smooth area (a paved
 surface on  a slight hill  would work well). Place  the  trash pieces on the
 sloped  area, and sprinkle water on them one at a time. (Note: This part of
 the  experiment also can be conducted in  the classroom by elevating one
 end of a board and placing the lower end  in a sink. Place the trash pieces
 on the  elevated end of the board, and sprinkle water down the board.) Ask
 the students:
    • Which items are easily moved by the sprinkled water? (When you get
      back inside make a list on the chalkboard and have the students fill
      in the "Can Sprinkled Water Move It?" column on their handouts.)
    • What element in nature  acts like the sprinkled water?
    • Is there a tendency for all of the articles of the same type (plastic, pa-
      per, metal, etc.) to be affected by the sprinkled water in the same way?

6    Discuss how the characteristics examined (whether an item floats, is
    blown around, or is carried by sprinkled water) affect whether an item
 is likely to  become marine  debris. Also discuss how the natural environ-
 mental  forces of running water, wind, and  rain can cause trash to become
 marine  debris.
    Try one of the following projects: 1) compare the types and amounts
of  trash found  on rural versus  urban beaches; 2) compare types and
amounts of trash found in different locations on a beach; and, 3) compare
types and amounts of trash found on a rocky beach compared to a sandy
beach. For each project, speculate on why differences were observed.
                                  -^BX
   Another approach would be to compare the types and amounts of trash
found  on an ocean beach versus the  shoreline of a lake,  pond, river,  or
stream in order to compare the impact of debris on marine and freshwater
environments.
                                                      13

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Trash Trails Resul
ITEM

















TYPE (PLASTIC,
PAPER, METAL,
ETC.)

















DOES IT
FLOAT?

















CAN IT BE
BLOWN AROUND
ON LAND?

















CAN IT BE
BLOWN AROUND
IN THE WATER?

















CAN SPRINKLED
WATER MOVE
IT?

















     14

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                                                                                                   Unit I
 Experience!
1    Explain to students that they will be performing an experiment to learn
    how trash degrades in the marine environment. Discuss the concept of
 degradation with students, and explain that some important signs of degra-
 dation are changes in shape, color, and size of an item. (Note: The loss of
 an item's ability to withstand being pulled apart also is an important sign
 of degradation, but this only should be evaluated at the end of the experi-
 ment so that the natural degradation process is not accelerated.)

2    Next,  set up the  experiment. Fill the
    containers halfway with water. Put one
 of the  pieces from  every pair  of trash in
 each  container.  Cover one container with
 netting or screening, and secure the  cover-
 ing with the rope or string. Take the cov-
 ered container outdoors, and place it in an
 area that receives sun for as much of the day as possible. Keep the other
 container inside the classroom,  and put it in an undisturbed area. (Note:
 You may want to put  signs near the containers that say, "Science experi-
 ment — Do not touch!")

3    Every day, have a  different student record the weather conditions in
    the  "Weather Watch" handout.  Record the outdoor temperature,
 the type of cloud cover there is  (to determine how much sunlight the ex-
 periment is receiving), and whether or not there has been any rain or other
 precipitation.

4    Every week (for a minimum of 2 months) have the class observe the
    changes in the trash items,  both in the indoor and the outdoor con-
 tainers.  Have different students fill in the "Degradation Data" handouts
 every week. (Note:  You may want to use a camera to take  pictures of the
 degrading trash on a weekly basis to monitor and display changes as accu-
 rately as possible. When taking pictures, place a card with the date on it in
 the upper right hand corner of the photograph to keep a precise record of
when the photograph was taken.)
 Objective: To examine the
 degradation of debris and learn how
 degradation affects the persistence
 of debris in the marine environment
           Students perform an
 experiment to learn how different
 types of debris degrade and how
 weather and sunlight affect the rate
 of degradation.

 Vocabulary: degradable,
 persistent
 Materials:
 >• Assorted pairs of trash (Note: The
  following pieces of trash are rec-
  ommended: two six-pack rings,
  two plastic bags, two cardboard
  egg cartons, two apple cores, two
  soup cans, two glass bottles, and
  two pages of newspaper)
 2^ Two large, shallow, containers
  (such as large dishpans)
 >~Two pieces of netting or screening
 >^Two pieces of rope or string
 >• An outdoor thermometer
 >- Newspaper
 >^One copy of the "Weather Watch"
  handout for every month of the ex-
  periment
 s^Two copies of the "Degradation
  Data" handout for every month of
  the experiment (one checked "out-
  door" and one checked "indoor")

Subjects:  Language Arts,
Science
                                                     15

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Unitl

Learning Skills:  Analyzing,
Classifying. Collecting Data.
Comparing and Contrasting.
Experimenting. Hypothesizing.
Observing.
Duration: Two 40-minute
periods for discussion, set up, and
clean up: 5 minutes every day (for at
least 2 months) to record weather
observations; 10 to 20 minutes
every week (for at least 2 months) to
record degradation observations
(Note: The longer that the
experiment is continued, the more
dramatic the evidence that
degradation has occurred will be.)
5   At the end of the experiment, spread newspaper over a large table. Di-
   vide the table  into two sections and label one side "indoor" and the
other "outdoor." Retrieve both containers and place them on the appropri-
ate sides of the table. Take each pair of trash pieces out of the containers
one at a time and compare  the visible differences between the "indoor" and
"outdoor" pieces of trash. Then have a student try to pull apart the pieces
of trash to determine if there is a difference in  strength between the "in-
door" and "outdoor" pieces. Ask the students the following questions:

    • Which pieces of trash have degraded?   f
    • Does whether the piece of trash was
      indoors or outdoors  affect how much
      it has degraded? How?
    • Which types of trash are degradable?
      Which types are persistent?
    • Does the ability of an item to degrade
      affect whether it is found in the ma-
      rine   environment?  Based   on  this
      experiment, hypothesize how degrad-
      ability affects marine debris.

    Compare the completed "Weather Watch" and "Degradation
    handouts. Ask the class the following questions:
    • Did the weather seem to affect the rate of degradation? How?
    • What weather conditions increase degradation rates?
                                                                                                       Data"
                                           Six-pack rings are now made of photodegradable plastic (plastic that
                                        degrades when exposed to sunlight).  Conduct an experiment to observe
                                        photodegradation.  (Note:  This experiment should be conducted over at
                                        least a 3-month period.) Place 12 six-pack rings in an area of the classroom
                                       I that will not ibe disturbed. Then, fasten the same number of six-pack rings
                                       i outside in an area that is usually in the sun and will not be disturbed. Every
                                       I week take a six-pack ring from both locations and compare how they look
                                        and how much they stretch when pulled. Discuss the differences.
                                           If your school is near the coast or a body of freshwater, conduct an ex-
                                        periment to see if trash degrades faster in water or on land. Place  several
                                        trash items in a plastic net. Take these netted items to a pier, marina, or
                                        other site where the net can be tied onto a fixed object so that it hangs in
                                        the water. Make sure the trash cannot  escape and that the net is tied se-
                                        curely so that you are not generating marine debris!  (Note:  If the site is
                                        privately owned, be sure to check with its owner before proceeding.) Place
                                        identical pieces of trash in a plastic net and tie it to a post on land.  Again,
                                        make sure the trash is  securely fastened. Periodically compare the rates of
                                        degradation.
                                                    16

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DATES:
    ITEM
   ITEM
                  Degradation Daf
            Q Indoor  Q Outdoor
                        SIGNS OF DEGRADATION
WEEK1
WEEK 2
six-pack ring
plastic bag
egg carton
apple core
soup can
newspaper












                       SIGNS OF DEGRADATION
WEEKS
WEEK 4
six-pack ring
plastic bag
egg carton
apple core
soup can
newspaper












                        17

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Weather Wai
"7^^^>>a*s^^
WEEK 1
i
Date Temperature Cloud Cover Precipitation




















WEEK 2
Date Temperature Cloud Cover Precipitation




















WEEK 3
Date Temperature Cloud Cover Precipitation




















WEEK 4
Date Temperature Cloud Cover Precipitation




















  18

-------
 Roofs   and   Routes
 of   Marine  Debris
                                                                                           Unit I
    IPass out the red markers or pencils to all students. Divide the class as
    closely as possible into groups of three students each. Have each group
 form a circle with their desks. Give each group a copy of all three "Roots
 and Routes" handouts, and have each student in the group take a handout.
 (Note: If there are only two students in a group, have one of the students
 take two handouts.)

2    Ask the students to circle one piece of marine debris (or one object that
    has the potential to become marine debris) on their handout with a red
 marker. Then have each student pass the handout to the student sitting to
 his or her right. The students should again circle one piece of marine de-
 bris before passing the handout to the student on their right. Continue this
 process until the students cannot find anything left to circle.

3    For each handout, ask a volunteer to  list on the chalkboard all of the
    marine debris items his or her group circled. Then ask if any other
groups found additional items, and write them on the board. Discuss how
these items are or could become marine debris.
4
As a class, discuss how the different sources of debris contribute to the
marine debris problem. Ask the students the following questions:
• What kinds of items become marine debris?
• How do they become marine debris?
• What can be done to prevent the generation of marine debris at each
  source depicted on the handouts?

Have each student in the group choose one of the "Roots and Routes"
scenes and color it in. Display the colored pictures on a bulletin board.
 Objective: To discover where
 marine debris typically comes from
 and how it commonly finds its way
 into the marine environment.

 Activity:  Students work in small
 groups to examine typical sources of
 marine debris as illustrated on three
 different handouts. The students
 circle the marine debris items shown
 on the handouts and then discuss as
 a class how marine debris is
 generated and how it gets into the
 ocean.

 Vocabulary: landfill, offshore oil
 platform, outfall pipe, plastic resin
 pellet, source

 Materials:
 ^Enough copies of the "Roots
  and Routes" handouts for each
  group of students to have all
  three scenarios
 >• Enough red markers or pencils for
  each student in the class
 ^Crayons or colored markers

 Subjects: Art, Science, Social
 Studies

 Learning Skills: Analyzing.
Hypothesizing, Visualizing, Working
in Small Groups

Duration: 40 minutes
                                                19

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Unitl
                                         Have students draw their own "Roots and Routes" scene that shows
                                     where marine debris comes from and how it finds its; way into the marine
                                     environment.
                                         Ask students to write a paragraph about one source of marine debris,
                                      explaining what kinds of debris are generated by the source and how these
                                      items could enter the marine environment.
                                                                      ^ijiai
                                         Have the students imagine they are an animal that lives in a marine or
                                      aquatic environment, like a fish, a crab, or a turtle, Ask them to write a
                                      story  about what  they would  feel as they  watched debris  litter their
                                      "home." You can ask the following types of questions to help the students
                                      imagine the situation: How would you react to people throwing trash into
                                      the water from boats or from the shore? What would you think about a
                                      piece of net floating in the water? How would you feel about cans and bot-
                                      tles blocking the entrance to your favorite cave?
                                          If there is a storm sewer nearby, show the students what it looks like.
                                      Ask them to  count all the pieces of trash they find within about 25 feet of
                                      the sewer. Also have them look into the sewer to see if there is any trash in-
                                      side. Ask the students what they think might happen  to the trash around
                                      the sewer.
                                                   2O

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21

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22

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23

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Unit I
                                                           The   Trails   and
                                                           Trials  of  Trash
Objective!  To learn how trash
that is not properly disposed of on
land can become marine debris, and
how marine debris can find its way
back onto land.
Activity: Students play a board
game that illustrates some ways that
trash discarded on land gets into the
sea, as well as how marine debris
can get back to land. The object of
the game is to successfully make it
to the trash can at the end of the
 path.
Vocabulary:  stormwater runoff
 Materials:
 >-One copy of the Trails and Trials
   of Trash Game Board" handout
   for each group of three or four stu-
   dents in the class
 >-A penny for each student
 >• Scissors
 >-Tape
 >-One die for each group of three or
   four students in the class
 Subjects: Language Arts,
 Science, Social Studies
 Learning Skills: Analyzing,
 Visualizing, Working in Small Groups
 Duration: 40 minutes
1   Divide the class into groups of three or four students. Pass out one
   copy of the "Trails and Trials of Trash Game Board" handout to each
group. Have each student in the group choose one of the game pieces from
the handout (the six-pack ring, the plastic cup, the balloon, or the fishing
net), cut it out, and tape it to a penny.

2    After all of the students have assembled their game pieces, explain how
    the game is played. The game board is  divided into two sections: the
land section and the sea section. The object of the game is to  be the first
piece of trash to make it to the trash can at the end of the land section.

3    All players  start on the  "Land Start" space. Each player takes  a turn
    rolling the die. The player with the highest number goes first, and the
others follow in a clockwise  fashion. In turn, each player rolls  the die and
moves the number of spaces indicated. If the player lands on a space with-
out written instructions, the player remains on that space until his or her
next turn. If the player lands on a space with instructions, the  player must
follow those instructions. If the player is on the land section of the game
board and the instructions indicate that he or she has been washed to sea,
the player moves his or her  game piece to  the "Ocean Start" space. If the
player is in the ocean section of the game  board arid the instructions tell
the player to move back to the land, the player moves his or her game piece
to the "Land Start" space. The game continues until one of the players ar-
rives at the trash can. (Note:  Players need to land on the trash can with an
exact roll of the die to finish the game.)        ;
    Ask the students to write a story, poem, or song about the "travels" of a
 piece of marine debris. The story, poem, or song should discuss where the
 marine debris began its journey, how it  "travelled." where it  "travelled,"
 and where it ended up. Another option is to write, stage, and perform a
 play or puppet show that illustrates the "travels" of one or more pieces of
 marine debris.
                                                 24

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                                                  Washed into a

                                                      sewer
i%**u'***^-r.          l^'^"'^^3''c-;^^lf^l^
         MOVE
         x  * i
         AHEAD
                     25

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mam)
 BLOW ONTO
    LAND
Disturbed someone's
   ocean view

 LOSE A TURN
  Picked up in
  beach cleanup
  GO TO LAND
 Tangled around
     a seal

 LOSE A TURN
                                                       Carried by
                                                      swimmer back
                                                        to shore
                                                     GO TO LAND
                                                      ROLL AGAIN
                                                        beach,
                                                       OofouiND
                                             Carried
                                            toward land
                                             by current

                                             LOSE

                                               A
                                             TURN
                          Lost z«
                         underwater
                           cave
•^&n*M$, pulled i
           %
 Washed ashore
  by waves

GO TO LAND
        Tr./z." -i
                             26

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  Wa§fe   Inventory
     On a Friday afternoon, pass out copies of the "Waste Inventory Log"
     handout. Explain to the students that from Monday through Friday of
 the next week they  will write down everything they throw away in  the
 "Waste Inventory Log." Also explain what kind of information to record
 in the columns of the log. In the "Item" column, they should list every
 item they discard. In the "Number" column they should put a mark every
 time they throw away that type of item.
                                                                                                Unit
        students  to predict how many items the entire class will throw
    away in one week. Write down the predictions and save them until the
 logs are completed.

3    Every morning, give the students 10 minutes to write down the items
    they disposed of that morning and the night before. Also give  them 5
 minutes after lunch and 5 minutes at the end of the day to write down the
 items they disposed of during the day.

 A At the end of the week, discuss the contents of the "Waste Inventory
 M Logs." Have a few students read their lists of items to the class. Point
 out to the students which items are recyclable. Ask how recycling could af-
 fect the marine debris problem.

   Tell the students to add the number of items they discarded each day,
   and then add the total number of items they threw away over the 5-day
period. List these totals on the board. Have students calculate a grand total
for the class. Compare this total  with the estimates the students made at
the beginning of the week. Discuss  the differences between the estimates
and the actual total.
 Objective: To understand how
 our habits and activities can
 contribute to the marine debris
 problem, and how proper waste
 disposal methods and recycling can
 help prevent the problem.

 Activity: Over the span of a
 week, students keep a log of the
 types and amounts of trash they
 generate, and how they dispose of
 that trash. Students also learn which
 items were (or could have been)
 recycled,  and which items could
 become marine debris.

 Vocabulary: disposal, recycling,
 waste generation

 Materials:
 ^Enough copies of the "Waste In-
  ventory Log" handout for each stu-
  dent in  the class (Note: students
  may need extra paper to complete
  the log).

 Subjects: Language Arts,
 Mathematics, Science, Social Studies

 Learning Skills: Analyzing,
 Calculating, Classifying, Collecting
 Data, Comparing and Contrasting,
 Hypothesizing, Observing

 Duration: 40 minutes for
discussion; 20 minutes a day for a
week for students to keep their logs.
                                                   27

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Unit I
6                                          Another option that can demonstrate the large quantities of trash peo-
                                          ple generate is to have the students cany around their trash with them.
                                      Ask each student to bring in a medium-sized trash bag from home. Have
                                      the students use their bags to dispose of their trash. (Note: Tell students
                                      not to put food waste, glass,  or sharp objects in their bags.) Have the stu-
                                      dents carry their bags around with them everywhere they go. Continue this
                                      experiment for up to a week. At the end of the experiment, compare and
                                      discuss the quantities  of trash each student has generated.
                                       1
Finally, discuss the types of items that were discarded that could be-
come marine debris. Ask students the following questions:
• What types of items can become marine debris?  (Note: Emphasize
  that all items can become marine debris if improperly disposed of.)
• How could they become marine debris?
• How could you prevent these items from becoming marine debris?

                                           Have students research recycling programs in their community. Con-
                                       duct a survey to determine what kinds of materials are recycled, how much
                                       material is recycled, who participates in the program, and what the mate-
                                       rial is used for after it is recycled. Also have students think of ways to in-
                                       crease community involvement in recycling.
                                                                         ^H>8J
                                           Set up a classroom or community recycling program. First, determine
                                       which types of items will be collected for recycling, making sure that there
                                       is a market for those items in your area. (Note: Contact the recycler you
                                       have chosen to handle your materials to confirm what types of materials
                                       can be collected, how the materials should be separated,  and any other re-
                                       quirements that should be followed.) Second, designate a collection center,
                                       and be sure to obtain appropriate containers and other facilities. Third, ar-
                                       range to have the items picked up and delivered to the recycler. If there is a
                                       great  enough demand in  your area  for the types of recyclables  you are
                                       collecting, you may receive payments for  the  material you deliver to the
                                       recycler. This money can be used to fund the recycling project or other
                                       educational initiatives in your school.
                                                    28

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                                              Unit II
                                The Eflecls  of
                               Marine Debris
    How can marine debris harm
wildlife?

  BPK,
  IP What types of animals may be
harmed by marine debris?
    What are some other effects of
marine debris on coastal areas?
    How can marine debris pose a
hazard to human health?
                        31

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Unit II
The  Effects  of
Marine  Debris
    Marine debris can have serious consequences for both wildlife and humans. For -wildlife, problems oc-
 cur when animals get caught in or swallow debris. Although almost any species can be harmed by marine
 debris,  certain species are more susceptible to its dangers than others. For humans, marine debris causes
 problems such as  the aesthetic degradation of ocean waters and beaches, economic hardships for coastal
 communities and the fishing industry, and health and safety hazards.

                                                  items may also block air passages and prevent breathing,
                                                  thereby causing death.
                                                      Marine mammals,  turtles, birds, fish,  and crusta-
                                                  ceans all have been affected by entanglement in or inges-
                                                  tion  of  marine debris.  Many of the species  most
                                                  vulnerable to the problems of marine debris are endan-
                                                  gered or threatened.  Endangered species are plants or
                                                  animals that are in immediate danger of becoming ex-
                                                  tinct because their population levels are so low. Threat-
                                                  ened species are plants and animals  that may become
                                                  endangered in the near future.
                                                      It is estimated that  approximately 100,000 ma-
                                                   rine  mammals  die every year from entanglement or
                                                   ingestion of marine debris.  Of the  different types of
                                                   marine mammals, seals and sea lions are the most af-
                                                   fected (particularly by entanglement) because of their
                                                   natural curiosity and tendency to investigate unusual
                                                   objects in the  environment. Packing straps and net
                                                   fragments are  a  major  problem for these  animals.
                                                   Some studies have linked the decline of the northern
                                                   fur seal  of Alaska  and the endangered  Hawaiian
                                                   monk seal to entanglement in marine debris. "Whales,
                                                   including endangered humpback and gray whales,
                                                   have been found entangled in fishing nets and line.
                                                   Manatees, which are also an endangered species, have
                                                   become entangled in crab-pot lines, and dolphins and
                                                   porpoises may  get caught in fishing nets.  Ingestion of
                                                   debris by marine mammals appears to occur less fre-
                                                   quently, but it has been reported for elephant seals,
                                                   sea  lions,  certain types of whales, and  manatees.
                                                   These cases are significant because they have usually
Whaf  Is  fiie Impact of

Marine Debris  on Wildlife?

   The two primary problems that marine debris poses
to wildlife are entanglement and ingestion. Entangle-
ment results when an animal becomes encircled or en-
snared by debris. Entanglement can occur accidentally,
or when the animal is attracted to the debris as part of
its normal behavior or out of curiosity. For example, an
animal may try to use a piece of marine debris for shel-
ter, as a plaything, or as a source of food (if other plants
and animals are already trapped in the debris or if the
debris resembles prey that is a normal part of its diet).
   Entanglement is harmful to .wildlife for several rea-
sons. Not only can entanglement cause wounds that can
lead to infections or loss of limbs, but it may also cause
strangulation or suffocation. In addition, entanglement
can impair an animal's ability to swim, which can cause
drowning  or difficulty in moving about, finding food,
and escaping predators.
   Ingestion occurs when an animal swallows marine
debris. Ingestion sometimes happens accidentally, but
generally animals feed on debris because it looks like
food. Ingestion can lead to starvation or malnutrition if
the ingested items block the intestinal tract and prevent
.digestion, or accumulate in the digestive tract and make
the animal feel "full," lessening its desire to feed. Inges-
tion of sharp objects can damage the digestive tract or
stomach  lining and cause infection  or  pain.  Ingested
                                                32

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  contributed to or resulted in die death of the animals
  due to suffocation or starvation.

     Sea turtles also have become entangled in marine
  debris. All of the five species of sea turdes found in the
  United States are endangered species, and all have been
  found entangled in different  types of marine debris,
  such as fishing line, rope, and fishing nets. Ingestion of
  marine debris is an even greater problem for these spe-
  cies. Sea turtles have been found to swallow plastic bags
  because they look like jellyfish,  one of their favorite
  foods. This may cause the turtle's digestive tract to  be-
  come blocked, leading to starvation. Cases of turtles
  swallowing balloons, tar balls,  and debris that has  be-
  come covered with algae also have been reported.
     Nearly a million seabirds are thought to die  from
 entanglement  or  ingestion  each  year.  Since   most
 seabirds feed on fish, they are often attracted to "fish that
 have been caught or entangled in nets and fishing line.
 Entanglement in fishing line has been a particular prob-
 lem for the brown pelican, which  is an endangered spe-
 cies. Seabirds are some of the most frequent victims of
 abandoned nets. As many as 100 birds have been found
 in, a_single ..abandoned .net. ...Many  birds,  including
 ducks, geese,  cormorants, and gulls, have been found
 entangled in six-pack rings and other encircling debris.
 The ingestion of plastic resin pellets (small, round pel-
 lets that are the raw form of plastic and are melted and
 used to form plastic products) is a major concern. Many
 types of birds have been found to  feed on these pellets,
 most likely because they mistake them for fish eggs  or
 other types of food.

    Fish and crustaceans (such as lobsters and crabs) are
 frequently caught in lost or discarded fishing gear,  in a
 phenomenon known as ghost fishing. For example, a
 1/2-mile section of nylon net was  found  in Lake Supe-
 rior. It had been abandoned for an estimated 15 years
 and contained 100 pounds offish, much of which was
 rotten. Lost traps also continue to  attract fish and crus-
 taceans, which enter them in search of food or shelter.
 In New England alone, it is estimated that nearly one-
 half million lobster pots are lost every year.
   Wildlife also is affected when marine debris disturbs
 its environment. For example, lost or discarded fishing
 gear and nets can drag along the ocean floor or through
 coral reefs,  disrupting the animals  and plants that live
there. In addition, debris  can bioaccumulate in the food
chain. Bioaccumulation occurs when organisms low
                                           Unit II
 on the food chain consume a substance that builds up
 in their bodies. When animals higher on the food chain
 eat those organisms, they also ingest that substance, and
 it accumulates in their bodies. The higher an animal is
 on  the food chain, the greater the quantity of the sub-
 stance that is consumed and accumulated. For example,
 eagles  and other predators high on the food chain have
 been found with large concentrations of plastic pellets
 in their stomachs after preying on smaller birds, which
 previously ingested the material in fish.

 What  Is  (he  Impact  of

 Marine  Debris  on Humans?
    Marine debris also can have serious consequences
for  humans. First, marine debris is visually unpleasant.
Floating debris  is an eyesore, and debris stranded on
 Ghost fishing
     When nets or other fishing gear are lost or dis-
I carded, they continue to "fish" for sea animals long
 after the  fisherman has forgotten them. Many crea-
 tures are caught and most die if  they cannot free
 themselves  in  time to prevent drowning or starv-
 ation. In the Pacific Ocean,  one  1,500-meter long
 section of net was found that contained 99 seabirds,
 2 sharks, and 75  salmon.  The net was estimated
 to have been adrift for about a month and to have
 traveled over 60 miles.
                                                 33

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Unit 11
beaches  and  shorelines  degrades  coastal  aesthetics.
Coastal communities lose millions  of tourism dollars
when  large  amounts of marine  debris  make  their
beaches unattractive to visitors. During the summers of
1987 and 1988, beaches in New York and New Jersey
were closed when medical waste, including needles and
bandages from hospitals, washed up on their shores.
These beach closings caused many vacationers to go
elsewhere.  Not only does  marine  debris cost coastal
communities lost revenues from tourism, but clean-
ing up  beaches littered with marine debris can be very
expensive.
    Lost or discarded fishing gear can financially harm a
region's fishing industry. In addition to the costs associ-
ated with replacing the missing gear, marine debris can
cause costly or irreparable damage to boats. Fishing nets
can wrap  around propellers, plastic sheeting  can clog
cooling water intakes, and lost nets or lines can entangle
vessels. In a 1987 survey in the Seattle area, almost two-
thirds of the individuals who responded to the survey
indicated that  their boats had been damaged by marine
debris  in  the  previous 2 years. When  lobster or crab
 traps are lost, they trap thousands of animals that conse-
 quently are  never  caught and sold. Ghost fishing also
 lulls thousands offish that may have found their way to
 market.
     Marine debris also can endanger people's health and
 safety. Sharp  objects, such as broken  glass and  rusty
 metal, may cause injuries when people step on them on
 the beach or ocean floor. Abandoned fishing nets and
 lines can entangle  scuba divers,  and some  divers have
barely escaped serious injury or death. Contaminated
debris, including medical waste and sewage, may pose a
public health hazard through disease transmission. Ma-
rine debris that wraps around 'boat propellers or punc-
tures holes in the bottom of boats can disable vessels,
thereby endangering human lives. This is especially seri-
ous if power is lost in a storm and the boat  cannot re-
turn  to  shore or steering is hampered and the  boat
cannot avoid  collision. Finally, submarines can be ob-
structed by abandoned fishing nets, making  navigation
and surfacing  difficult.
                 Key  Points
All species of wildlife can be harmed by marine debris,
but certain species are more susceptible to its dangers
because their behavior patterns attract them to marine
debris. The impact of marine  debris on endangered or
threatened species is particularly significant because the
numbers of these species are already so low.
 The entanglement of animals in marine debris can cause
 wounds and associated infections; strangulation; and im-
 paired ability to swim, find food, and escape predators.
 The ingestion of marine debris by animals can cause starva-
 tion, suffocation, and internal injuries and infections.
 Marine debris is an eyesore that blights open ocean and
 beach environments.
                                                         Marine debris can cost coastal communities a great deal
                                                         of money in  lost tourist revenues. Cleaning up marine
                                                         debris also can be expensive.
                                                         The impacts of marine debris on an area's fishing indus-
                                                         try can be significant. Marine debris damages boats and
                                                         can kill fish that otherwise would be sold.
                                                         Marine debris can endanger the lives of people when the
                                                         functioning of boats and  other vessels is  impaired. It
                                                         may also cause  injuries or transmit disease directly to
                                                         humans.
                                                      34

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 Circle   of
                                                                                                 <£>
                                                                                                    Unit II
1     Place the items of debris on the floor in the middle of the classroom
     and have students form a circle around them. Have a volunteer read
 the description of the seal on the "Animal Tales" handout.  (Note: You
 might want to make copies of this handout and distribute them to all stu-
 dents so they can follow along.) Then choose a volunteer to be a seal and
 ask him or her to go into the center of the circle and pick up an item of de-
 bris that might harm a seal. Ask the "seal" to tell how and why it might be-
 come injured by this piece of debris.

2    Repeat this procedure for the remainder of animals on the handout. Af-
    ter you  have finished, ask students if they can associate any other pieces
 of debris with one of the animals in a way that the class has not yet discussed.

3    Explain that many species of mammals, sea turtles, birds, and fish that
    encounter  marine  debris are endangered or threatened. Ask students
 how marine debris could pose special problems for these species. End your
 discussion by helping students to understand that any animal that lives in
 the water or on the coast can be affected by marine debris.
                   OflierDirecfioiM
    Have students locate photographs, artwork, or articles describing the
effects of marine debris on wildlife. Students can work individually or in
pairs to research a particular type of marine wildlife and develop a "photo
essay"  or brief presentation about how that species is  harmed  by debris.
Students could also focus on a particular type of marine debris and its im-
pacts on wildlife in general.
    Take students on a field trip to an aquarium or coastal nature reserve,
where they can learn about endangered and threatened species that might
be harmed by marine debris. Contact the aquarium or reserve in advance
to arrange for a guided tour that emphasizes the problems that marine de-
bris poses for endangered and threatened species.
 Objective:  To leam about the
 characteristics of marine animals
 that make them susceptible to the
 hazards of marine debris.
 Activity:  Students listen to
 descriptions of marine animals, then
 identify items of marine debris that
 could harm them.
 VOCabulaiy: endangered
 species, entanglement, ingestion,
 resin pellets, threatened species
 Materials:
       or more copies of the "Ani-
   mal Tales" handout
 >- Resin pellets (or white jelly beans
   or marbles)
 >*A piece of net (or a mesh onion
   bag)
 >~ Fishing line or rope
 >-Six-pack rings
 ^Plastic bag or sheeting
 >• Lobster or crab pot (or a wooden
  box or crate)
 >^0ther types of debris (such as a
  plastic cup, a pull tab from a can,
  a balloon, a bottle cap, and a glass
  bottle)
            Language Arts,
Science
Learning Skills: Analyzing
Public Speaking, Reading, Visualizing
Duration: 40 minutes
                                                   35

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                                         Animal   Tale
Seagull
I look for food in the piles of seaweed and shells washed up
by the tide. If I can, I'll eat food that has already been caught
by someone or something else. I also like to eat fish eggs,
which are round and clear.
Seal  I am naturally
curious and like to play
with unusual objects,
especially those that float.
My nose is perfect
for poking into
things — but
sometimes I
get caught.
                                                 FlSn  I often swim into holes and near objects
                                                   that offer shelter from my enemies. If a lot of
                                                    smaller fish are gathered in one area, I may
                                                          swim closer to see if I can eat them.
                    Turtle
 One of my favorite foods is the jellyfish, which floats on or near the
 surface of the water.  Jellyfish swim together in schools, and you can
 see right through them!
                           Lobster
 I crawl along the bottom of the ocean looking
 for food. Sometimes I find a tempting meal
 inside a wooden crate resting on the ocean
 floor — but once I get into the crate, I can't
 get out again.
                                       36

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                                                                                                   Unit II
 "|  Distribute the rubberbands to students and have them follow the pro-
  1  cedure below. (Note:  You may want to have one or two students come
 up to the front of the room to perform the exercise with rubberbands as a
 demonstration; then include the entire class in the discussion.)
     • Hold your hands up in front of your face, with the back of your
      hands towards your face.

     • Hold the rubberband in your right hand and hook one end of it over
      the little finger of your left hand.

     • Hook the other end of the rubberband over the left-hand thumb.
      The rubberband should be taut and resting across the bottom knuck-
      les on the back of your left hand.
    • Place your right hand on the bottom of your left elbow, and keep it
      there.

    • Try to free your hand of the rubberband without using your right
      hand, teeth, face, or other body parts.

2    While students are struggling, ask the class to imagine that  they are
    seagulls that have gotten pieces of fishing line, abandoned net, or other
debris wrapped around their beaks or necks. Tell them the birds would be
unable to eat until they had gotten themselves free. Ask them the following
questions:

    • How would you feel after struggling like this all morning?
    • How would you feel after missing breakfast?
    • What would happen if you continued to miss meals and spent all of
      your strength fighting to get  free?
    • What would happen if a predator was chasing you?

   Encourage students to share their thoughts and feelings about being
entangled. Remind them that their experience is similar to that of a bird or
other marine animal that becomes entangled in debris.
 Objective: To leam about
 wildlife entanglement by experi-
 encing what it might be like to be a
 marine animal trapped in debris.

 Activity: Students perform an
 experiment in which they wrap a
 rubberband around their fingers and
 try to disentangle themselves. As a
 class, students discuss their
 thoughts and reactions and relate to
 real animals.

 Vocabulary:  abandoned net

 Materials:
>-A small- to medium-sized (thin)
  rubberband for each student
>-One copy of the "Animal  Entangle-
  ment" handout •

Subjects:  Language Arts,
Science

Learning Skills:  Analyzing.
Experimenting, Visualizing, Writing

Duration:  20 minutes
                                                   37

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Unit II
3                                           Post the "Animal Entanglement" handout at the front of the class.
                                           Ask students to choose one of the animals pictured and write a para-
                                       graph from that animal's point of view telling how it feels to be entangled
                                       in marine debris. Students should include as many details from the illus-
                                       tration as  possible in describing their experience. E,ncourage students to
                                       use a range of senses and feelings in their descriptions, and to be as imagi-
                                       native as possible.
                                           Have a volunteer come up to the front of the room and experiment
                                       with entangling his or her hands or arms in a six-pack ring. This activity
                                       should be carefully guided by the teacher. Have the student remove the
                                       six-pack ring, or help him or her to do so. Then cut the loops of each
                                       ring with a scissors. Have another volunteer experiment with becoming
                                       entangled in the cut ring. Have students compare the two experiences.
                                       Then discuss why cutting six-pack rings is a good practice.
                                                      38

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Animal
Enfangleme

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Unit II
                                                                                              HOW
Objective: To explore the
effects of marine debris on people,
animals, vessels, and communities.
Activity:  Students complete a
form that requires them to make
decisions about how severely
different types of marine debris
affect people, animals, vessels, and
communities. As a class, results are
totalled and analyzed to determine
which types of marine debris are
most harmful to the different cate-
gories that could be affected.
Vocabulary:  ghost fishing,
 medical waste
 Materials:
 >• Enough copies of the "How Harm-
   ful Is It?" handout for the entire
   class
 Subjects: Mathematics,
 Science. Social Studies
 Learning Skills: Analyzing.
 Calculating, Classifying, Comparing
 and Contrasting, Decision-Making
 Duration: 30 minutes to
 complete tally; 30 minutes
 {preferably the next day) to analyze
 and discuss results
1    Distribute the "How Harmful Is It?" handout to the class. Make sure
    students are familiar with die types of debris in the table. If possible,
label and display examples of the actual debris. Review with students the
instructions at the top of the page. Then have students fill out the table.

2    Collect the handouts and calculate class subtotals for each type of de-
    bris on the handout (add together the students' subtotals and divide by
the number of students in the class). (Note: You can do this with the class
or on your own and present the totals the next day.) Pass back to students
their original handouts.

    Write the class subtotals on the board. As a class, analyze the results of
    the tally. Initiate discussion by asking questions such as the following:
    • According  to class results,  which types of marine  debris are most
      harmful to seals? sea turtles? seagulls? Which type or types of debris
      seem to be most harmful to animals in general?  (Repeat this series of
      questions for people, vessels, and places.)
    • According to class results, which types of marine debris are the most
      harmful overall? Do you agree? Why or why not?
    • According  to these results, which type of debris is the least harmful?
      Do you agree? Why or why not?
    • Are there any types of debris which received a low grand total, yet are
      very harmful to one or several of the items on the list? Which ones?

4    Discuss with students how their individual results might have varied
    from the class results.  Help them to understand that people may have
 had different opinions about how harmful certain debris is based on their
 own attitudes. For example, one student might think that a paper cup on a
 beach has little effect on the appearance or attractiveness of that beach for
 wading or walking, yet another student might argue that litter can make a
 beach so ugly that people will no longer go there.
                                                     4O

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                                                                                              Unit II
    The discussion should also introduce the concept that the abundance
 of certain types of debris may make them more harmful on a large scale
 than other types that appear to be more dangerous. For example, while
 hospital needles are extremely dangerous, they are less common than  de-
 bris such as fishing line and nets, and therefore may have less of an overall
 effect on marine and coastal animals and communities.

    (Note: The numbers that students arrive at by doing this exercise do
 not  represent objective data on marine debris effects. Instead, they help
 students explore the many ways that debris can harm the different com-
 ponents of marine  and coastal communities. Students should come away
 with the knowledge that certain types of debris may have a greater effect
 on specific animals, people, vessels, and places, but that almost all marine
 debris can be harmful to some part of these communities.)
 —ss^ Qflier Directions >^ss»—
    Have students design a "Most Wanted" poster for the type of marine
 debris that they think is the most dangerous. The poster should include
 an illustration of the debris and list some of its "crimes."  Students might
 also mention a "reward" on the poster for the person who finds this type
 of debris and disposes of it properly or identifies it to the proper authori-
 ties for disposal.
    Have students develop a bulletin board mural or model of a seaside
community complete with swimming beach, fishing pier, restaurants,
beachfront housing, and hotels. The community should also include peo-
ple in different occupations and some wildlife. Then ask students to re-
search one element of the community that can be affected by marine
debris and prepare a brief presentation. When students have completed
their reports, gather the class  around the mural or model and have stu-
dents get up  one at a  time, indicate the subject of their talk with  a
pointer, and give the presentation.
                                                41

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                      How   Harmful   Is
INSTRUCTIONS: Decide how harmful each type of marine debris would be if it came into contact with
the animals, people, vessels, and places listed below. Write the number that best reflects your
opinion in the appropriate box. (For example, if you think fishing line would be very harmful to a seal,
write the number "3" in the space provided.) When you have completed the chart, calculate the
subtotals for each type of debris. Then calculate the grand totals at the bottom of the page.

1 - RARELY or NEVER HARMFUL    2 = SOMETIMES HARMFUL   3 = VERY HARMFUL
Six-
Fishing Paper Lobster Pack Resin Plastic Hospital
ANIMALS Line CUD Trap Ring Pellets Bag Needle
Seal
Sea Turtle
Seaqull
SUBTOTAL




























Lost
Net




PEOPLE
Diver
Beachgoer
Sailor
SUBTOTAL

































VPSSELS
Motorboat
Canoe
Fishing Boat
SUBTOTAL

































PLACES
Pier
Swimming Beach
Seafood Restaurant
SUBTOTAL

































GRAND TOTAL








                                      42

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   'What steps are being taken
to prevent marine debris?
   'Who is working on the
problem?
   'What can concerned
individuals do to help?
                                       Unit III
                               Developing
                           Solutions and
                           Spreading flie
                                      Word

                       X
                       b
                       E
                     43

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Unit III
Developing
Solutions  and
Spreading
flte Word
   Many governments, organizations, and individuals are actively working to develop solutions to the

 marine debris problem. Some of these groups are developing educational programs to encourage people to

 use prevention, the most effective way to reduce marine debris. Other organizations are conducting

 projects aimed at removing debris from the marine environment through beach cleanups, adopt-a-beach

 programs,  and other initiatives. In addition, international laws, as well as local  state, and federal

 legislation, have been established to regulate commercial and recreational activities that frequently result

 in the generation of marine debris.

                                              1978 annexes are "optional," meaning that nations may
                                              elect to adopt  them or not. As of January 1992, 52
                                              countries had signed Annex V.

                                                 In 1988, the Marine Plastics Pollution Research and
                                              Control Act (MPPRCA) was passed, requiring all U.S.
                                              ships to comply with the provisions of MARPOL Annex
                                              V. In addition  to prohibiting U..S.  ships from dumping
                                              plastic items in the sea, all such vessels are required to
                                              institute shipboard waste management plans. The law
                                              also banned the disposal of plastics within 200 miles of
                                              the United States by  foreign! nations,  regardless of
                                              whether or not they are Annex V signatory nations. The
                                              U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is responsible for enforcing
                                              these regulations.

                                                 While government-owned vessels  are currently ex-
                                              empt from MARPOL Annex V, MPPRCA required all
                                              U.S.  public ships, including Navy vessels, to  comply
                                              with the regulations by 1994. The Navy has already be-
                                              gun researching options for reducing shipboard waste
                                              and for separating and compacting plastics for disposal
                                              at  ports. The Navy is also  developing educational
What  Are Governments

Doing to Mdres§  Marine

Debris?
   In 1973, the International Maritime Organization,
die United Nations agency responsible for international
shipping, formed an agreement addressing marine pollu-
tion known as  MARPOL. This agreement consists! of
two annexes that regulate the disposal of oil and hazard-
ous chemicals at sea. As of 1992, 50 nations had signed
this agreement. MARPOL was amended in 1978 to in-
clude three additional annexes addressing hazardous ma-
terials,  sewage, and  trash.  Under Annex  V,  the
amendment regulating the disposal of garbage at sea,
packing materials may not be dumped  closer than 25
miles from land, and food wastes and other trash may be
disposed of no  closer than 12 miles from land. The dis-
posal of plastic materials (including fishing nets, ropes,
and bags) is prohibited  under any circumstances. The
                                            44

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                                                                                                 Unit III
 programs to encourage all of their ships to take steps
 now to reduce waste generation.

    Several other U.S. agencies also are engaged in
 efforts to address marine debris. Much of this activ-
 ity has resulted from the work of an  interagency
 task force on  Marine Debris, which was formed by
 the White House and chaired by the National Oce-
 anic  and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In
 1988, the task  force  published  its  final  report,
 which recommended steps that the U.S. Govern-
 ment should take to reduce marine debris. The re-
 port  recommended  that  government  agencies,
 including   the  U.S.   Environmental   Protection
 Agency (EPA), NOAA, USCG, the Department of
 Interior (DOI), and the Navy, undertake a coopera-
 tive effort to deal with the marine debris problem.
 The report also recommended that industry and en-
 vironmental groups, as well as local governments, be
 included in this cooperative effort.

    One of the first steps  taken  by  these  federal
 agencies  has been the identification of sources of
 marine debris. EPA, along with NOAA, are cospon-
 sors  of  the  Center  for  Marine  Conservation's
 (CMC) National Beach Cleanup Campaign, during
 which volunteers record the types and quantities of
 marine debris they collect. EPA also has been con-
 ducting field  studies  at harbors and sewage treat-
 ment plants to record the types of debris that are
 found. In addition,  EPA, NOAA, and the National
 Parks Service are all working with CMC to develop
 other marine debris monitoring programs to collect
 more precise data for statistical analysis.  These data
 will be used to examine long-term trends in marine
 debris to  determine which solutions  are effective
 and which sources of marine debris will require fur-
 ther control efforts.

    Activities already are being undertaken to target
 the sources of marine debris and reduce the quan-
 tity of debris they generate. For example, EPA, in
 cooperation with the plastics industry through the
 Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), is examining
 the sources of plastic resin pellets in the marine en-
vironment. Once this research has been completed,
EPA and  industry representatives will recommend
measures to control the release of pellets. In addi-
tion, EPA and USCG are developing guidelines to
reduce the solid  waste released  into coastal waters
during shipping operations. EPA also is regulating
 High  Seas Drifter

    It seems that nowhere is free from marine debris.
Even in Antarctica, one of the most isolated areas on
earth, marine debris is commonly found washed up
on  die shore by researchers studying the area. Ant-
arctica is visited by so few people that most of this
debris could not have come from the local area. In-
stead, the debris enters the ocean hundreds or even
thousands of miles away, and then drifts  to these re-
mote beaches. It is a disturbing thought that, if cur-
rent trends continue, more marine debris than
people will ever reach the shores of Antarctica.
                                                  45

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 Unit III
 stormwater sewer systems to reduce the quantity of de-
 bris that is  released  to the marine environment from
 these sources.
    Finally, as a result of recommendations of the inter-
 agency task  force, the federal government is sponsoring
 public educational campaigns on marine debris. A cen-
 tral effort to this campaign is NOAA's Marine Debris
 Information Office, which is operated by CMC and co-
 funded by EPA. Through this office, information is dis-
 tributed  on  the problems associated with marine  debris,
 as well as potential solutions. These federal agencies also
 arc developing  educational  materials  and initiating
 beach cleanup efforts to increase public awareness of the
 marine debris issue.
     Several other federal activities were undertaken be-
 fore the final report of the Interagency Task Force was
 completed.  In 1984, under the Department  of Com-
 merce, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries  Service cre-
 ated the Marine Entanglement Research Program  to
 study the causes and effects of pollution on the  marine
 environment and its inhabitants. Through the program,
 researchers  investigate possible mitigation opportunities
 and educate debris generators about how they can help
 lessen the problem. In 1978, NOAA established the Na-
 tional Marine Pollution Program, which studies differ-
 ent types  of  ocean pollution.  With the help  of
 representatives of the shipping, plastics, and commercial
, fishing industries, conservation  groups, the Navy, and
 academia, the program has established priorities for ad-
 dressing die marine debris  issue.  These include im-
 proved   techniques  for  handling  shipboard   waste,
 increasing people's understanding of the effects  of plas-
 tics in the  marine environment, and investigating ways
 to mitigate the effects of "ghost fishing" by lost or dis-
 carded nets.
     Another federal effort is the Marine Mammal  Com-
 mission, which was established in 1974 as part of the
 Marine Mammal Protection Act. The commission re-
 views federal agency actions or programs that may affect
  marine mammal protection and research  efforts. The
  commission has been active in supporting the Marine
  Entanglement  Research Program, studying marine de-
  bris effects in select U.S. waters, and helping start beach
  cleanups and data-gathering projects in several states.

      On the state and municipal  level,  laws and ordi-
  nances  are being passed to address the management of
  different types  of trash, many of which can become ma-
rine debris. For example, many states have passed bottle-
deposit laws to encourage the recycling of beverage cans
and botdes.  Data from CMC's 1990  Beach Cleanup
show that there were significandy fewer botdes and cans
on beaches in states with deposit laws, suggesting that
these regulations are having an eflFect. Some states have
also enacted legislation requiring the use of certain items
such as photodegradable six-pack rings.  Many states and
communities  also  have  implemented  littering  laws,
which will help prevent trash originating on land from
becoming marine debris.

What Are  Private

Organizations Doing to

Address Marine Debris?
    Private industry, non-profit research organizations,
and environmental groups also  are working to find
ways to prevent and reduce marine debris. One  of the
most widely recognized  efforts  is  the annual  beach
cleanup organized by CMC, which has been held annu-
ally each fall since  1986. Through the cleanup,  CMC
mobilizes thousands of volunteers in the United States
and several other countries to scour the coast, recording
data on the types of debris found on U.S. coastlines.
The data are logged in the National Marine Debris Da-
 tabase, which is used by CMC and other researchers as a
 tool to study the nature  of marine debris and measure
 the impact  of attempts to reduce it.  Beyond cleaning
 beaches, the program serves to increase awareness  of
 marine debris  and improve our  understanding  of the
 problem. Other environmental groups, including the
                                                       o

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  Natural Resources Defense Council and the World
  Wildlife Foundation, have established educational
  programs that oudine steps that people can take to
  stop marine debris in their own communities.

     In addition, several different business and in-
  dustry groups have initiated projects aimed at re-
  ducing  or  preventing   trash  in  the  marine
  environment. In the 1980s, plastics manufacturers
  began to organize research and educational efforts
  aimed at minimizing  the effects of plastics  in  the
  oceans, lakes, and rivers. To reduce the persistence
  of these items, photodegradable plastics have been
  developed for use in six-pack rings and other par-
  ticularly harmful items. Additional work has been
  done  to increase the feasibility of plastic  recycling.
  Many frequently used plastic containers,  especially
  beverage  containers such  as soft-drink botdes and
  milk jugs, can now be recycled.

    The plastics industry, through the SPI, is also
 engaging in an education campaign aimed at both
 plastics producers and consumers alike. Information
 kits, industry briefings, and public service advertise-
 ments have been used to reach industry members to
 spread the word about plastic items that manufac-
 turers can prevent  from becoming  marine  debris,
 such  as resin pellets. Educational efforts have also
 been  directed at recreational boat owners, marinas,
 and commercial  fishing operations. Finally, SPI
 supports other federal and private efforts to address
 the problems of marine debris, such as CMC Beach
 Cleanup Campaigns and EPA's plastic pellet study.
    Other industry groups also have taken action to
 prevent their businesses from contributing  to the
 generation of marine debris. In 1987, a coalition  of
 Pacific Coast commercial fishermen sponsored the
 North Pacific Rim Fisherman's Conference on Ma-
 rine  Debris.  The  conference   included  repre-
 sentatives  from commercial fishing fleets  from all
 over the Pacific, and established a set of goals and
 recommendations for all fishing vessels to follow.
 The petroleum industry has initiated educational
 programs to encourage offshore oil platform opera-
 tors and employees to properly dispose of all gener-
 ated waste. Port authorities in the United States also
have begun to address the issue, focusing on how to
facilitate compliance with the provisions of Annex
V requiring portside garbage disposal facilities.
                                                                                                Unit III
  from   flic  Deep
 Beach Cleanups
    The Center for Marine Conservation's 1990 Beach
Cleanup covered 26 states and 3,656 miles of coasdine
in the United States, netting over 2!/2 million pounds
of trash. Over 100,000 volunteers took part in the ef-
fort. In addition to paper plates, plastic bags, and other
trash, they found a rubber alligator, a sofa, two egg
cartons complete with eggs—and 10 kitchen sinks! By
the end of the cleanup, four sinks had been found in
Florida, two each in  New York and  Maine, one in
Delaware, and one in Virginia. While the presence of
the sinks is proof that anything can become marine de-
bris, the fact that  they were found, recorded, and re-
moved also  demonstrates  the resolve of dedicated
individuals working to reduce the amount of trash in
the marine environment.
                                                 47

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Unit III
What Can I  Do?
    While governments and private organizations have
become increasingly active in combatting marine debris,
individual initiative  remains one of the best ways to
tackle ocean pollution. By taking action, whether prop-
erly disposing of all waste, cutting down on the amount
of waste produced, organizing local marine debris proj-
ects, or joining  the efforts of larger organizations, citi-
zens  of all  ages can help  reduce  marine debris and
increase public awareness of the problem.
    There are often dear connections between our indi-
 vidual behaviors and the effect of these activities on the
 environment (for example, the candy wrapper littered
 on the street can easily be washed  into a storm sewer
 and carried to the sea). Since prevention is the simplest
 and most effective way to  reduce marine debris, indi-
 viduals can begin by examining their lifestyles, consid-
 ering how much garbage they generate, and where it all
 ends up. To reduce the possibility that any of their trash
 will become marine debris, people can make sure that all
 of their waste is  properly disposed of.  For example,
 when outdoors, especially at the beach or on a boat, pre-
 venting any litter from blowing away or being left be-
 hind will help. People also can recycle as much trash as
 possible and practice waste prevention techniques, such
 as reusing items like bags and  containers rather than
 throwing them away.
     The effectiveness of concerned individuals can  be
 multiplied by organizing into groups to address marine
 debris  in the  community  or region.  For example,
 groups can come together out of concern for a  nearby
beach or other site, learning how it is being affected,
cleaning  the area  periodically,  and  informing others
about the project.  Such "adopt-a-beach" programs can
be very effective ways to educate the community about
the impact of marine debris and what needs to be done
to prevent it. Marinas can organize education campaigns
to alert recreational boaters to the need to store waste
for proper disposal on land. Boaters can also organize
watchdog groups  to  observe and  report any illegal
dumping. One such group, the "Citizen Pollution Pa-
trol," is a network of boaters committed to preventing
the generation of marine debris. Organized after ratifica-
tion of MARPOL Annex V by the United States,  this
group reports suspected violations  of the regulations,
and helps other boaters understand and  comply  with
the law.
    Established organizations working to stop marine
debris are always looking for more people to help them
organize and staff their programs.  For example,  indi-
viduals of all ages can volunteer for certain short-term
projects, such as CMC's annual beach cleanups. Many
young people take part in these cleanups every year. Not
only do students get a chance to help protect the  envi-
ronment through such efforts, but they also can witness
the marine  debris problem  firsthand.  In addition to
CMC, the  National  Marine Fisheries Service and the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also oversee a network of
volunteers that respond to marine animal strandings and
entanglements.  Many  state  and  local  environmental
 agencies also maintain a volunteer corps to help educate
 people about marine debris.
     Young people can also take action to prevent marine
 debris and educate others about the problem through a
 variety of youth organizations, such as Kids Against Pol-
 lution  and  local chapters of Boy or Girl Scouts of the
 United States of America.  Students can learn  more
 about aquatic environments and the wildlife that lives
 there by visiting  museums, aquariums, and nature re-
 serves. They also  can  read books and  magazines and
 watch television  shows on  these  topics. In addition,
 young people individually can make a difference in dieir
 communities by organizing cleanups, by writing letters,
 and by talking about environmental issues with parents
 and friends.
     At a time when many environmental problems seem
 beyond individual action, marine debris is an area where
 people of all ages can make, and have already made, a
 real difference.
                                                     48

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                                                                                                  Unit III
                  Key Points
 Prevention is the most effective way to stop marine de-
 bris. The United States and other countries, private or-
 ganizations, and individuals are taking action to prevent
 debris from entering the marine environment. In addi-
 tion, U.S. federal agencies are cooperating to address the
 marine debris problem.
 MARPOL Annex V is the first international legislation
 to regulate the disposal of garbage at sea. Federal, state,
 and local legislation also has been passed  addressing
 ocean disposal, encouraging recycling, and banning par-
 ticularly harmful plastic items.
 Many conservation groups have been working to stop
 marine debris,  developing  educational programs and
 lobbying  for additional U.S. and  international legisla-
 tion. Prominent among these is the Center for Marine
 Conservation's annual beach cleanup, which mobilizes
 thousands of volunteers to remove marine debris from
 the nation's beaches.
Industry groups are addressing the problem by educat-
ing their members about marine debris and sponsoring
conferences and research projects.
Individuals can  make  a difference  in  their daily lives
by reducing the  amount of waste they produce and en-
suring that  the  remainder is  recycled or disposed of
properly.
People who want to become more involved can let their
elected representatives  know how they feel, organize
projects within their community, and join established
marine debris prevention programs.
                                                   49

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Unit III
                                                                    Nations   and
 Objective: To understand that
 marine debris is a global issue and
 to learn about international efforts
 that can help pevent its generation,
 such as MARPOL Annex V.
 Activity: students find MARPOL
 signatory nations on a map and
 learn how marine debris can drift
 between these countries. As a class,
 students discuss how MARPOL
 Annex V regulates the disposal of
 garbage at sea. Students also learn
 how people in some of these
 countries say "Save Our Seas," and
 make up a song with the phrases.
 Vocabulary: annex foreign,
 international
 Materials:
 >^A world map
 >-Three different colors of yarn
 >Tape
 > Scissors
 >-One "MARPOL Annex V Coun-
   tries" handout for each student in
   the class
 >-One "I Am a Piece of Trash
   From..." handout
 Subjects: Language Arts, Music,
 Social Studies
 Learning Skills: Analyzing.
 Decision-Making, Observing,
 Visualizing, Writing
 Duration: 40 minutes
1   Before the lesson, cut apart the names of the different MARPOL signa-
   tory nations from the "I Am a  Piece of Trash From..." handout.
Crumple up the pieces of paper and put them in a bag. (Note: This hand-
out might be out of date, as some countries have changed their names or
no longer exist.)

2    Provide each student with a copy of the "Marpol Annex V Countries"
    handout. Assign one of the signatory countries to each student in the
class. Ask the students to imagine that they live in that country. Have them
find their country on the map.

3    Then, pass around the bag with the crumpled up pieces of paper and
    have the students pick out one each. Tell the students that these pieces
of paper represent  pieces of marine debris from all over the  world. Have
the  students open  their piece  of "trash," read where  it came from, and
identify the country on the map. (Note: If any students get a piece of trash
from the country they "live" in, ask them to pick  another.) Ask three vol-
unteers to indicate  on the map with a piece of colored yarn how their trash
could have traveled from its original  country to the country in which it
ended up. Tape the pieces of yarn to the map. (Note: Have each student
use a different color of yarn.)

4     For each example, ask the class if the trash could  have drifted to any
     other coastal countries on the map. Which ones? Also ask if the trash
could not have drifted to certain coastal countries. Which ones?

    Also discuss with the class:
     • Do oceans have borders as countries do? Why or why not?
     • Can a country by itself stop  all debris from  washing up  on its
      beaches?

§     Introduce the  students to MARPOL Annex V. Tell them about its pas-
     sage as a result of international concern about marine debris. Briefly
 discuss how it restricts the disposal of garbage (like food, metal,  and paper
 waste) at sea and prohibits the ocean dumping of plastics. Emphasize that
 through this legislation many countries from all over the world  joined to-
 gether to stop ships from contributing to marine pollution.
                                                    5O

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7
                                                                                                       Unit III
O
         Have the students learn the phrase "save our seas" in one of the fol-
         lowing languages:
         •  Rettet Unsere Meere (German)
         •  Sauvons Nos Mers (French)
         •  Salvate i Nostri Mari (Italian)
         •  Salva Nuestros Mares (Spanish)

         Help them put together a song made up of these phrases.
        Ask students to write a story about the journey of their piece of trash.
     Students might imagine that they are a glass bottle or a soda can drifting
     through the oceans, or some other piece of trash (such as a toy or a piece
     of fishing line). Using their social studies book or an encyclopedia for ref-
     erence, students should research the country where the trash started from,
     as well as the country on which it washed ashore. Compositions should
     include this information, as well as explain the ocean(s) the trash traveled
     through on its journey.  Other countries the trash could have landed on
     during its journey can also be mentioned. The stories can finish by men-
     tioning how the students would recycle or dispose of this piece of trash if
     they really found it on a beach.
        Ask students to investigate local legislation concerning marine debris
     (such as local boating ordinances and littering laws)  to learn how  their
     own community is working on preventing marine pollution. The investi-
     gation can include use of the school or public library, as well as interviews
     with parents, faculty, town representatives,  or other municipal officials.
     (Note: Students might like to  tape  their interviews  to share with the
     class.)
        Ask students to think about what other types of laws could help re-
    duce or prevent marine debris. Then have students write a letter to their
    congressperson or  senator expressing their concern about marine debris,
    along with their ideas on how the United States can become part of the
    solution. (Note: Students can also write letters to other individuals or of-
    ficials, from the mayor of their community to the President of the United
    States).
        Conduct a poster contest in which students design posters for recrea-
    tional boaters. The posters should explain the types of damage that ma-
    rine debris can cause vessels, as well as the requirements that pertain to
    boaters under  MARPOL Annex V. Posters can be placed around  town
    and in the local marina. (Note: Be sure to  check with the appropriate
    authority before displaying the posters.)
                                                        51

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 MARPOL  Anna V  Con nine
Algeria
Antigua and Barbuda
Austria
Bahamas
Belgium
China
Colombia
Cote d'lvoire
Cyprus
Czechoslovakia
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Germany
Greece
 Hungary
 Iceland
 Italy
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Lebanon
 Lithuania
Luxembourg
Marshall Islands
Netherlands
North Korea
Norway
Oman
Panama
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Russian Federation
St. Vincent and Grenadines
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Tuvalu
 United Kingdom
 United States
 Uruguay
 Vanuatu
 Yugoslavia
                           52

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  "I am a piece  of  trash from.. £
   ALGERIA
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
                                           AUSTRIA
   BAHAMAS
     BELGIUM
  CHINA
   COLOMBIA
   COTE D'lVOIRE
 CYPRUS
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
    DENMARK
ECUADOR
    EGYPT
     FINLAND
                                           FRANCE
   GABON
     GAMBIA
GERMANY
                         53

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 "I am a piece of  trash from..."
    GREECE
 HUNGARY
 ICELAND
     ITALY
  JAMAICA
  JAPAN
   LEBANON
 LITHUANIA
LUXEMBOURG
MARSHALL ISLANDS
NETHERLANDS
NORTH KOREA
    NORWAY
   OMAN
  PANAMA
     PERU
   POLAND
  PORTUGAL
                          54

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   "I  am a piece of trash  from..
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
ST. VINCENT & GRENADINES
    SPAIN
    SURINAME
      SWEDEN
SWITZERLAND
     TOGO
       TUNISIA
   TURKEY
     TUVALU
   UNITED KINGDOM
UNITED STATES
    URUGUAY
      VANUATU
 YUGOSLAVIA
                           55

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Unit III
                                                                    Clean   Sweep
Objective: To experience how
marine debris can affect a
community and to discover that by
taking action people can make a
difference.
Activity: As a class, students
organize and conduct a cleanup of
a local beach, lake, or stream.
Students keep track of the types
and amounts of trash picked up
and analyze this information in the
classroom. As a class, students
discuss the marine debris problem
in their community and consider
ways to prevent it.
Vocabulary: community, data,
lifestyle, prevention, volunteer
 Materials:
>0ne kitchen-sized garbage bag for
   each pair of students in the class
   (Note: If collected items will be
   separated for recycling, additional
   kitchen-sized garbage bags will be
   necessary)
 >-One pair of latex gloves for each
   student in the class
 >-One "Cleanup Card" handout for
   each pair of students in the class
 Subjects: Mathematics.
 Science, Social Studies
 Learning Skills: Analyzing,
 Classifying, Collecting  Data,
 Decision-Making, Observing,
 Working in Small Groups
 DuratiOIK Two40-minute
 periods
1    Select a nearbyWblic beach for the class cleanup. Public land adjacent
    to a local stream or lake also can be used.  (Note: The appropriate mu-
nicipal or state agency responsible for the site should be notified prior to
the cleanup.)

2    To prepare for the cleanup, explain the  "Cleanup Card" handout to
    the students and demonstrate how to  record the items they  find.
(Note: You may want to use this as an opportunity to show recycling in ac-
tion. Have  the students separate easily identifiable recyclable materials,
such as bottles, cans,  and newspapers, into bags for recycling.) Be sure to
explain carefully safety procedures to be observed while collecting debris,
including wearing safety gloves and  not handling sharp objects or items
they don't recognize.

3    Once on site,  have students pair up. One student in the pair should
    carry the bag for trash (and a bag for recyclables,, if they will be separat-
ing these), and actually gather the debris. As the first student collects the
trash, both  students should try to identify the item. The second student
then records the information on the "Cleanup Card." Ask students to re-
cord the sources of the debris whenever possible. At the end of the cleanup,
be sure that all the debris is properly disposed of.
    (Note: The Center for Marine  Conservation operates annual beach
cleanups across the country. You may want to incorporate its program with
this lesson,  allowing the class to work with adults to clean up a site. The
beach cleanups are scheduled for late September/early October and take
, about 3 hours. The Center for Marine Conservation also publishes a pam-
| phlet entitled "All About Beach Cleanups," describing how people can or-
ganize their own beach cleanups. See the "Resource;" section at the back of
 this guide.)
                                                    56

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  A Back in the classroom, have the students total the amounts of debris
  |» found  for each category listed on the "Cleanup Card." They should
 also add all of these numbers and put the total number of items found in
 the space provided on the bottom of the card. (Note: You might write
 these numbers on the board to come up with a class total for each category
 as well as a grand total for all of the pieces of debris found.)  Discuss any
 trends found:
    • Was there a prevalence of certain types of items? Where might these
      items have come from (for example, from boaters, from sewers, from
      people who threw their trash on the ground, or other sources)?
    • What were some of the most unusual types of debris found? Where
      might these items have come from?
    • Which types of debris could pose problems to area wildlife? How?
    • Will beach cleanups solve the marine debris  problem? Why or why
      not?
    • What are some steps we can take to prevent marine pollution in the
      first place?

    Ask the students to consider how the lifestyles of the community resi-
    dents may have contributed to the  collected debris. Did they find any
 items that they or their parents use every day?  Have them consider ways
 they could prevent these items from appearing on  their beach, including
 recycling, proper disposal, and other pollution prevention techniques.
                                                                                                 Unit Hi
    Have the class publicize its cleanup day or prepare an exhibit after the
event. (Note: If this option is selected, be sure to save a few samples of ma-
rine debris from the cleanup.) See the "Campaign for a Clean Future" les-
son in this unit for more details on these and other publicity activities.
    Have the class adopt the cleanup site or another area for the semester
or the school year. This will involve making regular tours to the site to
keep it clean, as well as educating the community about the site, its natural
inhabitants, and how to keep it clean.
                                                  57

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PLASTIC
FOAMED
PLASTIC
 PAPER
 GLASS
 METAL
 RUBBER
 MISCEL-
 LANEOUS
         ITEM
                               Cleanup  C
                                   NUMBER
TOTAL
Bags
Bottles
Fishing line/nets
Six-pack holders
Cigarette filters
Straws
Other







Total Plastic:
Cups
Fast-food containers
Other



Total Foamed Plastic:
CUDS
•^ 	 —
Bags
Newspaper/magazines
Other




Total Paper:
Bottles
Pieces of glass
Other



Totall Glass:
Cans
Bottle caps
Other



Total Metal:
Balloons
Tires
Other



Total Rubber:
Pieces of wood
Pieces of clothing


Total Miscellaneous:
Total:

































                               58

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                                 fora
 Clean   Future
                                                                                              Unit
    Introduce the class to the idea of a public education campaign by com-
    paring it to a political campaign such as an election or a fundraising
 event for a local church or civic group. Indicate that while those campaigns
 seek to win votes or raise money, the campaign the students will develop
 will help prevent pollution and protect the environment.

2    As a class, decide whether the campaign will be directed at the faculty,
    staff, and students of the school or all the members of the community.
 (Note: Most of the projects can be tailored for either the school or the en-
 tire community.) If possible, use the campaign to promote an actual beach
 cleanup,  community cleanup campaign,  recycling campaign,  or  other
 event.

 !1 Have the class create a slogan  for the campaign, such as "Save Our
 -Will vary with activity
 Subjects: Art, Language Arts,
 Science, Social  Studies
 Learning Skills: Analyzing.
 Collecting Data, Decision-Making,
 Interviewing, Researching,
Visualizing, Working in Small
Groups, Writing

Duration: Two to three
40-minute periods
                                                59

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Unit III
                                         • Bumper Stickers/Buttons. Have students individually or in pairs
                                           design and produce bumper stickers or buttons. Simple buttons can
                                           be made of white or colored card stock and worn using a safety pin.
                                           Bumper stickers can simply be strips of paper that are then posted on
                                           a wall (not actually put on cars). These items  should  include the
                                           campaign slogan and icon and, if possible, a brief point or two about
                                           marine debris.
                                         • Flyers, As a class, design a campaign flyer. Start with the campaign
                                           slogan and then develop the text of the flyer. The text can include in-
                                           teresting facts about marine debris, as well as simple steps people can
                                           take to help reduce or prevent marine debris. Once the flyer is pro-
                                           duced, it can be copied and distributed in the  school.  If the cam-
                                           paign seeks to include the whole town, students can distribute it to
                                           stores, libraries, and supermarkets. (Note:  Be sure to check with the
                                           appropriate manager or authority first.) Also be careful not to pro-
                                           duce more flyers than needed!
                                          • Library Exhibit. Have the students design a table or  bulletin board
                                           exhibit about marine debris to be displayed in the school or town li-
                                           brary. Students can assemble posters, flyers, buttons, and other items
                                           they have made. In addition, pictures or photographs of entrapped or
                                           entangled animals can be displayed to illustrate the potential dangers
                                           of marine debris. Actual samples of marine debris also can be used,
                                           and students can ask the librarians to add some relevant books to the
                                           exhibit. Exhibit tables or booths also can be set  up  at school fairs or
                                           similar community events. Campaign materials  can be displayed on
                                           the table, and the class can discuss with booth visitors the types of ac-
                                           tions people can take to prevent marine debris. (Note: Before devel-
                                           oping any exhibit or booth,  check  with the proper  authority to
                                            obtain permission and to get information about size  and format re-
                                            straints for exhibit/booth setup.)
                                          • Article for the School Newspaper. Ask the class to compose an ar-
                                            ticle about the marine debris education campaign  for the school
                                            newspaper. The article should  include what students  have  done and
                                            what they hope to achieve, as well as discuss what their schoolmates
                                            can do to help. Or, invite a reporter from the school  newspaper to a
                                            "press conference" at which the class can give a presentation on ma-
                                            rine debris. The reporter can then write .an article on the campaign.
                                          • Newspaper Articles/Letters to the Editor.. Have the class write a
                                            press release on the campaign for the local paper that discusses  what
                                            students have accomplished. A reporter from the paper could also be
                                            invited to talk to the class. Alternatively, have each student compose
                                            a letter to  the editor briefly explaining the effects  of marine debris,
                                            what their class is doing to prevent it, and steps that people in the
                                            community can take to support the campaign.

4                                           After the campaign is over, discuss with the class how well it worked.
                                           Have the students think about how much or how little people seemed
                                        to know about marine debris. Ask them to consider how changing people's
                                        attitudes can be effective in the effort to reduce marine debris.

                                                     6O

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    Make a class video advertising the campaign or illustrating some of the
 ways marine debris could adversely affect the community. The video also
 should demonstrate ways that people can prevent ocean pollution.  The
 videotape could be shown in school and then placed in the library for
 members of the community to borrow.
    Develop a public service announcement in conjunction with a local ra-
dio station or community access television/local cable television channel
advertising the campaign.
    Have the class present a play for parents/the community about marine
debris. The play can center on a day in the life of a marine animal such as a
seal pup or sea turtle. The animal might be shown feeding or swimming
with its family, becoming entangled or entrapped, and getting saved by
passing boaters. The play can end with a "monologue" by the animal about
not polluting the seas, or with the same message in a song sung by the
                                                                                                Unit 111
                                                 61

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Unit HI
                                                                                  Private
                                                               Investigations
 Objective: To learn about the
 efforts of private organizations and
 individuals, both locally and
 nationally, to prevent marine debris.
 Activity:  Students investigate
 what different groups (such as
 business and industry, environmental
 groups, and other civic and private
 organizations) are doing in their area
 or across the nation to prevent
 marine debris. StudentsS present an
 oral report on their findings. The
 class then writes a letter asking a
 representative of one of these
 groups to come to the school to
 discuss the group's efforts.
 Vocabulary:  business,
 environmental group, industry
 Materials:
 >No special materials needed
 Subjects:  Language Arts,
 Science. Social Studies
 Learning Skills:  collecting
  Data, Interviewing, Public Speaking,
  Reading, Researching, Working in
  Small Groups. Writing
  Duration: One 40-minute period
  for first library visit; one to two
  40-minute periods for additional
  research; one 40-minute period for
  oral presentations
   ITo get the investigation started, take the class to the library. With the
   librarian, introduce the students to likely sources of information, in-
cluding books, encyclopedias, periodicals, telephone books, and directories.
(Note: The "Resources" section at the back of this  learning guide lists
many organizations, and may provide enough information for your needs.
An additional reference tool is the Encyclopedia of Associations, which is a
book found in most libraries that contains the addresses and phone num-
bers of many kinds of organizations.)

2    Using these resources, have each student develop a list of organizations
    whose work focuses on the prevention of marine debris and related is-
sues  (such as wildlife entanglement and protecting endangered species).
Student lists should include government agencies such as EPA and NOAA,
industry groups such as the commercial fishing and plastics  industries,
non-profit organizations including environmental groups and research in-
stitutions, and civic or local groups such as recreational boaters and sport
fishermen. Assist  any students that are having difficulty, so that each stu-
dent has discovered projects or activities from at least two or three organi-
zations. Students should record the name,  address, and phone  number of
the organizations, as well as a short description of the group and its work.

3     Back in the classroom, list all of the different organizations identified
     by the students on the chalkboard. Ask student volunteers to briefly
 describe what each organization does.

4     Divide  die class into small groups  for further research. Assign each
     group two or three organizations and have diem research the projects
 their organizations have developed to  reduce or prevent marine debris.
 The school and  town libraries will be a primary source of information.
 Other potential  sources of information include environmental organiza-
 tions, the local newspaper office, and other  teachers or parents. The stu-
 dents also can contact the organizations directly, requesting that literature
                                                    62

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 about the organization be sent to the students by mail. In addition, stu-
 dents can call or visit local officials that are responsible for public health
 or environmental issues, asking them for more information about the work
 of their organizations.

5     When the students have completed their research, have each group
     present short oral reports to share what they found with the class. Af-
 terward, discuss the variety of things that people are doing to prevent ma-
 rine debris. Have the students consider which methods they think will be
 most effective and why.
                                                                                               Unit III
 — i^s^r Qflier Directions >-fess»—
    Choose an agency, organization, or business that  the students found
 interesting and have the class compose a letter asking a representative to
 visit the class. Afterward, have the students write a two- or three-paragraph
 report on the representative's presentation. The report should describe the
 organization and what the representative does. The students can also in-
 clude suggestions for how to implement some of the organization's preven-
 tion techniques in the community.
    Have the class investigate what their peers may be doing individually or
in organizations to protect the oceans or combat marine debris (the Ency-
clopedia, of Associations contains a number of children's groups working to
protect the environment). Have  students  develop a report or profile on
their findings.
   Ask students to research careers in the environment. The students can
interview individuals that hold environmental jobs (such as scientists, writ-
ers, environmental lawyers, organic farmers, park rangers, town planners,
and people in businesses, environmental groups, the government). Stu-
dents  can also look in the library for books, magazine articles, and pam-
phlets about environmental  careers. One book that describes a variety of
environmental jobs is entitled A Complete Guide to Environmental Careen.
Have  the students report to  the class on their findings. (Note: If students
interview a person who works for the environment, they might want to re-
cord their interviews on tape to be played for the class.)
                                                 63

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Unit III
                                                                       Circulating
                                                                            Solutions
Objective:  To review the
lessons of the guide, as well as to
spread the word about marine
debris and the solutions that are
being developed to reduce or
prevent ocean pollution.
Activity: Students compile work
from previous lessons to produce
books or newspapers to inform
people about the issue of marine
debris. The books and newspapers
address what marine debris is; how
it affects people, wildlife, and the
environment; and what individuals
can do about the problem.
Vocabulary: awareness
 Materials:
>-"Clip Art" from Appendix C of this
   learning guide
>>For newspapers: one piece of
   poster board (at least 24 x 36
   inches) for each group
 >-For books: several pages of white
   or colored construction paper for
   each student
 Subjects:  Art, Language Arts,
 Science, Social Studies
 Learning Skills:
 Decision-Making, Interviewing,
 Reading. Researching, Visualizing,
 Working in Small Groups, Writing
  Duration:  TWO to five
  40-minute periods
    ITell the students that they will each be making a book showing all that
    they have  learned about marine debris, including types of debris,
sources, and potential dangers. (Note: Students also can work together as a
class on this activity, collecting samples of their work from the lessons and
compiling them  into a single book.) To get started,  have each student
gather the materials he or she made in the previous lessons, including any
charts, essays, drawings, or poems.

2    Next, have the students glue or tape their work onto sheets of con-
    struction paper. Students might develop a title page for each major
group of activities they have studied (for  example, one title page for types
and sources, one for effects, and one for solutions). .Also, provide copies of
the "Clip Art"  to the students to help them illustrate the lessons. When all
the lessons have been compiled and illustrated, have the students punch
holes in the sheets of paper and stitch them together with yarn.
    Students also can  write a one-page introduction to their books. Ask
them to include their personal feelings about marine debris and what po-
tential solutions they think would be most effective. Students might con-
clude their introduction with a pledge to take specific steps to help prevent
marine debris.
    When the books have been completed, have the students use them to
spread the word about marine debris and how it can be prevented. Books
can be shown  to friends,  parents, neighbors,  or they can be "exhibited" in
the school library or in the community.

3     Alternatively, have the students work in small groups to develop a
     newspaper to help inform members of the school and the community
about marine  debris and  what  is being done to reduce or prevent it. Dis-
cuss with the class what newspapers are for and what kinds of articles, from
news stories to editorials, are found in them. Encourage the students to
, think of themselves as reporters and graphic artists, gathering information
 on stories they thought up, collecting work from previous lessons, and pro-
 ducing images to tell a story or illustrate one of the articles.
     Divide  the class into groups  of two to  four students, and ask each
 group to design, write, and assemble its own newspaper. (Note: If preferred,
                                                   64

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 students can produce a single newspaper as a class.) Newspapers should
 contain features from each of the following categories:
     • Articles. These  comprise the "news" portion of the paper. Articles
      can have either a light or a serious tone, as long as they convey a ma-
      rine debris message. The lessons in  this guide can be used as a start-
      ing point to get the groups thinking about what types of events or
      activities would make good articles.  For example, groups could write
      a story about the board game from  the "Trails and Trials of Trash"
      lesson, an article about the beach cleanup from the "Campaign for a
      Clean Future" lesson, or include one of the stories written about the
      journey of the piece of trash from the "Nations and Neighbors" les-
      son. Also, encourage the groups the come up with their own ideas for
      articles.
    • Editorials. These  are the  "opinion pieces," in which students de-
      scribe how they feel about marine debris and discuss what they think
      should be done to  prevent it. Groups might include letters to a con-
      gressperson or senator regarding their concerns about marine debris
      or their compositions from the "All Tangled  Up" lesson describing
      how it would feel to be a marine animal entangled in debris.
    • Illustrations/Cartoons/Photographs. These are the graphic contri-
      butions to the newspaper that illustrate the stories or stand on their
      own.  Examples of such graphics include an  advertisement telling
      readers  about the public  education  campaign conducted in  the
      "Campaign for a Clean Future" lesson, a reproduction of the "Most
      Wanted" type of marine debris poster created by the class in  the
      "How Harmful Is  It?" lesson,  or cartoons about marine debris and
      steps people can take to prevent it.

4    Once all the  articles have been written and the graphics prepared, the
    groups can write headlines for the stories and captions for the illustra-
tions. Then, provide each group with a piece of poster board and copies of
the "Clip Art." (Note:  You may want to provide both the "Clip Art" and
the poster boards  in a variety of colors.)

    Using the clip art, have the  students design a masthead at the top of
    the poster board (clip art graphics can  be enlarged with a copier where
necessary). Under the masthead,  have the students divide the  board into
three columns (each approximately 8 inches wide). Students can then ar-
range their articles and illustrations in these columns. Additional clip art il-
lustrations can be arranged  between the stories and at the margins. When
the layout is complete, have the students glue all the items in  place. The
finished newspapers can be posted around  the classroom, in the hallways,
or on bulletin boards around school, as well as in the community.
                                                                                                  Unit III
                                                   65

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 Appendix A
 Glossary
 abandoned net:  A lost or discarded fishing net, or a
 piece of a fishing net.

 annex: An addition to an established structure or docu-
 ment. The annexes in the MARPOL regulations are the
 sections containing the specific provisions of the law.
 awareness: To be acquainted with an issue or fact.
 bioaccumulation:   The process  by  which  animals
 higher on the food chain accumulate quantities of a sub-
 stance by consuming organisms lower on the food chain
 that have ingested this substance. The higher the animal
 is on the food chain, the greater the amount of the sub-
 stance that is consumed and accumulated.
 biodegradation: A process by which microorganisms
 break  materials  down into compounds  that can be
 reused in the environment.
 buoyant: Capable of floating in water.

 business/industry: Relating to companies,  groups of
 companies, and  their representatives engaged in com-
 merce or trade in specific products or services.
 campaign:  An  organized effort with a specific goal,
 such as electing  a candidate or informing a group of
 people about a particular subject.

 community: A  set of people living in the same town,
 area, or region sharing similar values, customs, and mo-
 res.

 data: Individual facts or information about a particular
 subject, or a set of such facts, which can be analyzed to
 learn more about the subject.

 degradable:   Capable of being broken  down into
 smaller pieces by  natural forces.

 disposal:  The permanent storage or removal of trash
from the environment.
 endangered species:  A species that is  in immediate
 danger of becoming extinct.

 entanglement:  The looping of a piece of debris around
 part of an animal's body. Entanglement may impair
 swimming and feeding, cause suffocation, decrease abil-
 ity to elude predators, and cause open wounds.

 environmental group: An organization  of individuals
 concerned with reducing and  preventing environmental
 degradation.

 foamed plastic: A type of plastic that is generally made
 from polystyrene and consists of small spheres  that are
 fused together. Foamed plastic is very light and  easily
 breaks into smaller pieces.
 foreign: Situated in or relating to a country other than
 one's own.

 ghost fishing:  The capability of lost or discarded fish-
 ing gear, such as nets, traps, or fishing line, to continue
 to catch fish, shellfish, or other marine life.
 ingestion: The consumption  of a piece of debris by an
 animal. Ingestion may  cause  clogging of the digestive
 tract, suffocation, or a  false feeling of fullness that can
 lead to malnutrition or starvation.

 international: Concerning relations or connections be-
 tween countries.

 landfill:  A specially engineered site for  disposing of
 solid  waste on land that  is constructed to reduce any
 hazards  to public health and safety.

 lifestyle: The way a person conducts his or her life and
 how this impacts other people,  animals, and the sur-
 rounding environment.
 marine: Relating to the ocean.
 marine  debris:  Objects that  are found in the  marine
environment but do not naturally occur there.
                                                 67

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Appendix A—Glossary
medical  waste:   Waste that comes  from hospitals or
other medical institutions and that may be infectious.
Medical  waste includes needles, bandages, glassware,
and other items.
offshore oil and gas platform:  A structure in the
ocean that forms a base from which oil and gas drilling
is conducted.
outfall pipe:  A pipe that discharges water and other
materials into a receiving water body.
persistent:  Capable of remaining in the environment
for long periods  of time  without being broken down
into smaller pieces.
plastic resin pellets:   Small, round pellets that are the
raw form of plastic. Resin pellets are melted down and
used to form plastic products.
press release: A brief report intended to provide news
organizations with the basic facts of an event or issue
and encourage them to cover it.
prevention: An effort to hinder or forestall an event or
process.
recycling:  The collection and reprocessing of materials
so they can be used again.
source: A place or activity that generates trash that en-
ters the marine environment.
stormwater runoff:  The water that flows along streets
or along the ground as a result of a storm.
threatened species:  A species whose numbers are low
of declining. A threatened species  is not in immediate
danger of extinction, but is likely to become endangered
if it is not protected.
trash:  Articles that have been made or used by people
and discarded.
volunteer: To offer to work for a service or cause with-
out pay, generally because the cause is deemed impor-
tant and in need of support.
                                                     68

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 Appendix B
 Resources
     There is a wide variety of sources of information on marine debris and other issues related to aquatic
 environments. This resource list is provided to give educators an idea of where to get farther informs
 tion. Many useful organizations, learning materials, audiovisual materials, and publications are listed
 here, however. This is not meant to be a complete and exhaustive list of all relevant resources, however.

 Organizations
 Adopt-A-Beach Program
 General Land Office
 Stephen P. Austin Building
 Room 620
 1700 N. Congress
 Austin, TX 78701
 (512) 463-5052

 The Adopt-A-Stream
 Foundation
 P.O. Box 5558
 Everett, WA 98206
 (206) 388-3487

 Bi£
 c/o
 P.O. Box 550
 Raleigh, NC 27602
 (919)856-6686

 Bullfrog Films
 P.O. Box 149
 Oley.PA 19547
 (800) 543-FROG

 California Coastal
 Commission
45 Fremont Street
Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105-2219
 (415)904^5200
 Center for Marine
 Conservation
 1725 DeSales Street, NW.
 Suite 500
 Washington, DC 20036
 (202) 429-5609
 and
 312 Sutter Street
 Suite 606
 San Francisco, CA 94108
 (415) 391-6204

 Clean Ocean Action
 P,O, Box 505
 Sandy Hook Highlands, NJ 07732
 (908)872.0111

 Educational Images Ltd.
 P,O. Box 3456, West Side
 Elmira, NY 14905
 (800) 527-4264

 Friends of Animals
 1623 Connecticut Avenue
Washington, DC  20009
 (202) 483-8998

The Fund for Animals
850 Sligo Avenye
Suite LL2
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 585-2591
 Greenpeace USA, Inc.
 1436 U Street, NW
 Washington, DC 20009
 (202)462-1177

 Institute for Environmental
 Education
 32000 Chagrin Boulevard
 Cleveland, OH 44124
 (216) 464,1775

 The Izaak Walton League
 of America
 1401 Wilson Boulevard
 LevelB
 Arlington, VA 22209
 (703) 528-1818

 Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
 9 West Broad Street
 Stamford, CT 06902
 (203) 323-8987

 Marine Entanglement
 Network
 c/o Defenders of Wildlife
 1244 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
 (202) 659-9510
                                           69

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Appendix B—Resources

Marine Mammal
Commission
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW.
Room 512
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 606-5504

National Wildlife Federation
Fisheries and Wildlife Section
1400 16th Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20036
(800) 432-6564

NCAA/National Marine
Fisheries Service
Marine Entanglement Research
Program
7600 Sand Point Way, N.E.
Seattle, WA 98115
(206) 526-4009
Mississippi/Alabama Sea
Grant College Program
P.O. Box 7000
Ocean Springs, MS 39564-7000
(601) 896-3355
(Note: Sea Grant has many differ-
ent programs at colleges and univer-
sities across the country.)

Project WILD
P.O. Box 18060
Boulder, CO 80308-8060
(303) 444-2390

Seattle Aquarium
Pier 59
Waterfront Park
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 386-4339

The Society of the Plastics
Industry, Inc.
 1275 K Street, NW.
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005
 (202) 371-5200
U.S. Coast Guard
Boating, Public and Consumer
Affairs
2100 2nd Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20250
(202) 267-2229

U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Public Information Center
PM-211B
401 M Street,  SW.
Washington, DC  20460

Washington State
Department of Ecology
Waste Reduction, Recycling, and
Litter Control Program
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504
(206) 459-6000
 Curricula  and Other Learning Materials
 Adopt-A-Beach, School
 Education Program,
 Curriculum Guide
 Project OCEAN, Ocean Alliance,
 San Francisco, CA. This curricu-
 lum guide contains lessons that
 teach about the problems of marine
 debris and other marine pollution.
 Available from the California
 Coastal Commission for a small fee.
 Aquatic Project WILD, 1987
 Project WILD, Boulder, CO. A
 curriculum with lessons on aquatic
 environments and the impact of
 people on those environments. It
 includes a lesson on  the effect of
 plastic wastes on aquatic organisms.
 Only available through Project
 WILD workshops. Call Project
 WILD for information about the
 workshops and state workshop
 coordinators. Workshops are
 generally free of charge, and
 accompanying printed materials
 are free of charge.

 Don't Teach Your Trash to
 Swim!
 NOAA's Marine Entanglement Re-
 search Program, Seattle, WA. A
 marine debris coloring book with
 an anti-litter theme. Available from
 NOAA's Marine Debris Informa-
 tion Office through the Center for
 Marine Conservation. Individual
 copies are free of charge but there
 is a small fee for multiple copies.
 Earth Notes, for Educators,
 Grades K-6
 U.S. Environmental Protection
 Agency, Washington, DC. This
 quarterly newsletter presents ideas
 in environmental education for stu-
 dents in grades K-6. Available from
 EPA's Public Information Center,
 free of charge.
 Environmental Education
 Materials for Teachers and
 Young People (Grades K-12),
 1991
 U.S. Environmental Protection
 Agency, Washington, DC. This
 publication provides a comprehen-
 sive list of environmental educa-
 tion curricula and other materials.
 Available from EPA's Public
                                                7O

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  Information Center, free of charge.
  Limit 1 per request.

  Get the Drift
  Project WILD, Boulder, CO. An
  educational packet that includes a
  24-page teacher's guide, four post-
  ers, and six activities on marine de-
  bris. Available from Project WILD
  for a small fee.

 Let's Reduce & Recycle: A
  Curriculum for Solid Waste
 Awareness, 1990
 U.S. Environmental Protection
 Agency, Washington, DC.
 EPA/530-SW-90-005.  This cur-
 riculum presents lessons and activi-
 ties about solid waste generation
 and management for students in
 grades K-12. Available from EPA's
 Public Information Center, free of
 charge. Limit 1 per request.

 Marine Debris Educational
 Materials List
 A comprehensive list of educational
 materials on issues related to ma-
 rine debris. Available from the Na-
 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric
 Administration's (NOAA) Marine
 Debris Information Office through
 the Center for Marine Conserva-
 tion. Individual copies are free of
 charge but there is a small fee for
 multiple copies.

Marine Education: A
Bibliography of Educational
Materials Available from the
Nation's Sea Grant College
Programs
Sea Grant College Program, Ocean
Springs, MS. This publication con-
tains a listing of curricula, publica-
tions, films, filmstrips, and other
educational materials from 29 Sea
  Grant College Programs across the
  country. Many of these materials
  are specific to marine debris. Avail-
  able from Mississippi/Alabama Sea
  Grant College Program for a small
  fee.

 Plastic Debris in Puget Sound
 A curriculum guide that teaches the
 effects of plastic debris  in Puget
 Sound. Includes activities and direc-
 tions for assembling a floor board
 game. Available from the Seattle
 Aquarium for a small fee.

 Plastics and Marine Debris:
 Solutions through Education
 A teacher's guide that explains how
 to minimize plastic marine debris
 by educating the public on how to
 properly dispose of such wastes.
 Available from the Society of the
 Plastics Industry. Individual copies
 are free of charge but there is a
 small fee for multiple copies.

 Ranger Rick's NatureScope,
 Diving Into Oceans,  1989
 Volume 4, Number 2
 Item No. 75042
 National Wildlife Federation,
 Washington, DC. A curriculum
 aimed at students from grades K-7
 containing lesson plans on ocean-re-
 lated topics, including the impact
 people have on oceans. Available
 from the National Wildlife Federa-
 tion  for a small fee.

Ranger Rick's NatureScope,
Pollution: Problems &
Solutions,  1990
Item No. 75045
National Wildlife Federation,
Washington, DC. A curriculum for
students from grades K-8 with les-
sons on many aspects of pollution,
  Appendix B—Resources
  including trash generation and
  wastes in aquatic environments.
  Available from the National Wild-
  life Federation for a small fee.
  Ripples: A Big Sweep
  Elementary Activity Guide
  Big Sweep and University of North
  Carolina Sea Grant College Pro-
  gram, Raleigh, NC. An activity
  guide to teach elementary school
  students the problems associated
  with litter in aquatic environments.
 Available from Big Sweep for a
  small fee.

  Save Our Streams,
  Teacher's Packet
 A teacher's packet that gives infor-
 mation on how to protect rivers
 and streams from debris and other
 pollution. Available from the Izaak
 Walton League of America for a
 small fee.

 School Recycling Programs: A
 Handbook for Educators, 1990
 U.S. Environmental Protection
 Agency, Washington, DC.
 EPA/SW-90-023. This handbook
 describes different options and step-
 by-step instructions for establishing
 a school recycling program. Avail-
 able from EPA's Public Informa-
 tion Center, free of charge.

 Storm Drain Stenciling Packet
 Clean Ocean Action, Sandy Hook
 Highlands, NJ. Educational cards
 that describe a unique and
 community-oriented project for
 preventing marine debris by dis-
 couraging the disposal of trash and
 other materials in storm drains.
Available from Clean Ocean Ac-
 tion, free of charge.
                                                  71

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Appendix B—Resources
Publications

'50 Simple Things Kids Can Do
to Save the Earth, 1990
John Javna, The Earth Works
Group. Andrews and McMeel, A
Universal Press Syndicate Com-
pany, Kansas City, MO. This book
describes 50 projects that children
can do to help solve environmental
problems, such as wildlife entangle-
ment in plastics and the buildup of
marine debris. Widely available at
bookstores.
Adopting a Stream: A
Northwest Handbook, 1988
Steve Yates, Adopt-a-Stream Foun-
dation. University of Washington
Press, Seattle, WA. This book dis-
cusses the effects of people on the
wildlife of a stream. Available from
the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation
for a small fee.
Adopting a Wetland: A
Northwest Guide, 1989
 Steve Yates, Adopt-a-Stream Foun-
 dation. University of Washington
 Press, Seattle, WA. This publica-
 tion examines the impact humans
 have on wetlands. Available from
 the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation
 for a small fee.
Adventures of the Garbage
 Gremlin: Recycle and Combat
 a Life of Grime, 1990
 U.S. Environmental Protection
 Agency, Washington, DC.
 EPA/530-SW-90-024. This comic
 book introduces students in grades
 4-7 to the benefits of recycling.
 Available from EPA's Public Infor-
 mation Center, free of charge.
A Citizen's Guide to Plastics in
the Ocean: More Than a Litter
Problem, 1988
K.J. O'Hara, S. ludicello, and R.
Bierce. Center for Marine Conser-
vation, Washington, DC. This
handbook explains the problems as-
sociated with plastic marine debris.
Available from the Center for Ma-
rine Conservation. Individual cop-
ies are free of charge but there is a
small fee for multiple copies.
All About Beach Cleanups: A
Helpful Guide to Planning a
Beach Cleanup, 1989
Center for Marine Conservation,
Washington, DC. This pamphlet
gives ideas on how to plan and con-
duct a beach cleanup. Available
 from the Center for Marine Con-
servation. Individual copies are free
 of charge but there is a small fee for
 multiple copies.
 Coastal Connections
 Center for Marine Conservation,
 Washington, DC. This quarterly
 newsletter promotes beach clean-
 ups and other activities to remove
 marine debris from the environ-
 ment. Available  from the Center
 for Marine Conservation. Individ-
 ual copies are free of charge but
 there is a small fee for multiple cop-
 ies.
 Don't Mess with Texas Beaches
 Adopt-a-Beach Program, Austin,
 TX. A coloring book that teaches
 children about marine debris and
 the problems it causes. Available
 from the Adopt-a-Beach Program,
 free of charge.
Driftwood, 1985
Michael Glaser. Knickerbocker,
Fiskdale, MA. A 32-page book tell-
ing the story of the travels of a tree
that falls into the ocean and ulti-
mately becomes driftwood on a
beach. Available at bookstores.

Entanglement Network
Newsletter
Center for Marine Conservation,
Washington, DC. A newsletter that
presents information and legislative
initiatives on wildlife entanglement
in trash. Available from the Center
for Marine Conservation. Individ-
ual copies are free of charge but
there is a small fee for multiple
copies.
Preserving Our National
Heritage: A Stewardship Guide
far Public Resources
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., Stam-
ford, CT, and Take Pride in Amer-
ica, Jessup, MD. This publication
discusses ways to preserve public
lands, including litter reduction
 campaigns. Available from Keep
America Beautiful, Inc., free of
 charge.
 Save the Earth: An Action
 Handbook for Kids, 1991
 Betty Miles. Alfred A. Knopf, New
 York, NY. This publication ex-
 plains a wide variety of environ-
 mental problems to children and
 suggests ways children can  help to
 solve those problems. It includes a
 section on water pollution  and
 beach cleanups. Widely available at
 bookstores,
                                                   72

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                                                                     Appendix B—Resources
 Brochures,  Facfsheefs,  and Informational  Pachds
 10 Tips far Boaters
 A leaflet describing how boaters
 can minimize marine debris. Avail-
 able from Clean Ocean Action free
 of charge.

 10 Tips for a Cleaner
 Beachfront
 A leaflet discussing how beachgoers
 can reduce plastic marine debris.
 Available from Clean Ocean Action
 free of charge.

 Informational Packets
 Informational packets are available
 for many different groups, includ-
 ing the general public, beach
 cleanup participants, beach cleanup
 organizers, teachers or other educa-
 tors, elementary school students,
 recreational boaters or fishers, and
 press or media representatives.
 These packets are available from
 the National Oceanic and Atmos-
 pheric Administration's (NOAA)
 Marine Debris Information Office
 through the Center for Marine
 Conservation. Individual copies are
 free of charge but there is a small
 fee for multiple copies.

 Marine Debris Facts and
 Figures
 A summary of statistics concerning
 the use of plastics and their pres-
 ence in the ocean. Available from
 NOAA's Marine Debris Informa-
 tion Office through the Center for
 Marine Conservation. Individual
 copies are free of charge but there is
 a small fee for multiple copies.

 Our Water Planet is Becoming
 Polluted with Plastic Debris
 A brochure for the general public
 on the problems of marine  debris.
 Available from NOAA's Marine
 Debris Information Office  through
 the Center for Marine Conserva-
Audiovisual  Materials
 Coastal "Cleanup Slide Show
 A slide show that details data collec-
 tion techniques for beach cleanups
 and gives background information
 on the marine debris problem.
 Available from the Center for Ma-
 rine Conservation. Available on
 loan or for sale.

Journey of the Blob
 A 10-minute film (in both VHS
 and 16mm formats) about a boy
 who thinks about disposing of a
 green glob in a stream. Also in-
 cludes a study guide. Available for
 rent or sale from Bullfrog Films.
Marine Debris and
Entanglement Slide Show
A 15-minute show containing 48
slides that present an overview of
the problems associated with ma-
rine debris. Available from the Cen-
ter for Marine Conservation.
Available on loan or for sale.

Protecting Our Waters
Order No. 011-2112. A slide show
containing 40 slides showing the ef-
fects of pollution from sewage,
solid wastes, industrial wastes, and
other sources on inland and coastal
waters. Includes a guide and a
cassette. Available from Educa-
tional Images Ltd. for a fee.
 tion. Small quantities are free of
 charge.

 This Discarded Line Is Done
 Fishing, But It's Not Done
 Killing
 A brochure on marine debris for
 those involved in recreational fish-
 ing. Available from NOAA's Ma-
 rine Debris Information Office
 through the Center for Marine
 Conservation. Small quantities are
 free of charge but there is a small
 fee for multiple copies.

 Tossing This  Trash Overboard
 Could Leave Death in Your
 Wake
 A brochure on marine debris for
 recreational boaters. Available from
 NOAA's Marine Debris Informa-
 tion Office through the Center for
 Marine Conservation. Small quanti-
 ties are free of charge.
Trashing the Oceans and Port
of Newport Video
A video that discusses marine de-
bris and one innovative solution.
Available for loan or sale from
the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration's (NOAA)
Marine Debris Information Office
through the Center for Marine
Conservation.
                                                73

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Appendix B—Resources


Po§ter§ and  Slickers

Don't Splash Your Trash
A black and white poster that can
be colored in, showing boats dump-
ing trash overboard into a sea full
of marine life. Available from the
Washington State Department of
Ecology, free of charge. Limit 1 per
request.
Don't Teach Your Trash to
Swim
A color poster showing a fish en-
tangled in a six-pack holder. Avail-
able from die National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA) Marine Debris Informa-
tion Office through the Center for
Marine Conservation. Individual
copies are free of charge but there
is a small fee for multiple copies.
Don't Teach Your Trash to
Swim
A color sticker showing a fish en-
tangled  in a six-pack holder. Avail-
able from the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA) Marine Debris Informa-
tion Office through the Center for
Marine Conservation. Individual
copies are free of charge but there
is a small fee for multiple copies.

Litter Is Not for the Birds
A black and white poster that can
be colored in, showing birds sur-
rounded by trash. Available from
the Washington State Department
of Ecology, free of charge. Limit 1
per request.

Marine Debris, Get a
Grip on It
A poster of an octopus picking up
trash and putting it in a trash can.
Available from the Pacific Science
Center.

MARPOL Boating Sticker
A color sticker that outlines the
MARPOL regulations for boaters.
Available from NOAA's Marine
Debris Office through the Center
for Marine Conservation. The
sticker is available in English,
Spanish, and Vietnamese. Individ-
ual copies are free of charge but
there is a small fee for multiple
copies.

Popeye
A full-color poster with Popeye the
Sailor saying "I hope ya swabs
won't be throwin' no PLASTICS
overboard!" Available from the
Center for Marine Conservation.
Individual copies are free of charge
but there is a small fee for multiple
copies.
Ride the Wave of the Future:
Recycle Today!
A colorful poster that promotes re-
cycling. Available from the U.S.  En-
vironmental Protection Agency.
Available from EPA's Public Infor-
mation Center, free of charge.

Silent Killers
A poster showing the effects of plas-
tics on wildlife. Available from
Clean Ocean Action.
                                                  74

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Appendix C
cup Art
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