Investigating Marine Debris

By Sandy Webb, Inspired by the 2005 NWHI Educators

Voyage

Mahalo for the photo images!

• Jim Watt• David Littschwager and Susan

Middleton• The many photographers who

posted their work on the internet-images found through the Google search engine

What killed this young albatross?

Many researchers have found that…

• Seabirds all over the world eat plastic that floats on the sea

• Researchers believe the birds confuse the plastic with their normal prey

• Plastic is passed from parent to chick as parents regurgitate what they eat to their young

Where’s this beach?

What’s their “catch”?

Where was this marine debris collected?

Where is this beach?

The last 3 photos were taken in the Northwest Hawaiian

Islands!

Kure Island is over 1000 miles from Kauai!

Even in the most remote places on earth…

• Marine debris piles up• The Northwest Hawaiian Islands

are part of the most isolated island chain in the world but…

• Ocean currents can carry debris for thousands of miles and…

• Plastic debris can last for decades!

Where do you think the marine debris that hits the Northwest Hawaiian Islands comes from?

The next three slides will provide clues!

What is Marine Debris?• Floating garbage in the sea • Litter on the beach

•Man-made rubbish that did not get put in a trash can!

•PREVENTABLE!!!

Make some hypotheses!

What types of marine debris most dangerous to sea life?

What are the top 5 most common types of marine debris?

How would you find the answers? How would you

test your hypotheses?

Brainstorm methods for collecting marine debris

data

One method for collecting data is to

take photos

Entangling Debris

Another method is to keep track of all the animals

found entangled in marine debris

Scientists organize their data in tables

Some organizations keep track of the types of

marine debris collected by volunteers

The volunteers fill out data sheets while they are

collecting rubbish

Most Common on Beaches

The Dirty Dozen

Another method is to collect data on marine

debris found in a certain area

Check out how much rubbish was collected in the remote Northwest Hawaiian Islands!

Over 300,000 kilograms – that’s more than 360

tons!!

A new method to study marine debris - from the air - is being

developed by NOAA • A special airplane is used• It’s packed with sensors:

temperature, radar, a variety of imagers, etc.

• The data is being used to predict where marine debris will accumulate

• Clean up efforts can occur before the debris hits the shore!

How would you investigate the effect of plastic marine debris on birds in a remote

location?

Work with your classmates and teacher to develop a

procedure – now!

One study, by Blight and Burger in 1997, used this

procedure: • They examined

seabirds caught and killed in drift nets found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

• They performed their study for two months and…

• Examined the stomach contents of the dead birds

What do you think Blight and Burger discovered?

Make a prediction- now!

Here’s some of their data- what can you conclude from it?

If you found out something this important, what would you do

with your results?• Hopefully you would share them!!• First, they have to be summarized in

writing- clearly and thoroughly• Next, they are submitted to scholarly

journals for scientific peer review• Research is used by those that try to

protect habitats and the species found in them

So what can YOU do about marine debris?

• Design a marine debris investigation of your own and share your results!

• Put your rubbish in trash cans!• Recycle!• Join the thousands of volunteers

that clean up beaches and off shore waters every year!

Volunteers clean up marine debris on Oahu every year!

What can you do in your “backyard”?