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Teaching Teachers About Marine Debris

The week of July 7, 2014, the NOAA Marine Debris Program (NOAA MDP) participated in a week-long Marine Debris Teacher Workshop in Savannah, Georgia. The workshop was organized by the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service through Project SORT, a NOAA MDP FY 2013 Prevention through Education and Outreach Partnership grant. Fifteen educators from Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina attended a four-day workshop to learn how to incorporate marine debris science into their curriculum. During the workshop, teachers collected marine debris data from Tybee and Wassau Islands to gather examples of microplastics -- one of the issues the southeast region faces. Microplastics are a growing concern for marine life.

The small size of these plastic pieces makes it easy to ingest, potentially harming marine life and shortening life spans as it accumulates in their stomachs.

The workshop is one of four components of Project SORT's grant, which also includes student marine debris surveys, curriculum development, and marine debris exhibits.

For more information about the Marine Debris Teacher Workshop and Project SORT, contact Leah.Henry@noaa.gov.

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Circular image.
Teachers see microplastics through a micoscopic lense. (NOAA)
Last updated Tuesday, November 8, 2022 1:54pm PST