Grade 9-12

A summary on the VIMAS efforts to suppor the International Coastal Cleanup each year.

Utilizing field work and in-class activities, students will learn to identify, sort and classify marine debris in the Virgin Islands.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  A summary of removal efforts of abandoned and derelict vessels following hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The goal of this lesson is to demonstrate what happens when natural disasters collide with inhabited areas. Students have the ability to interact with scientific models to learn about weather/natural disasters.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  A summary of the ways turtles in USVI can be impacted by marine debris.

The goal of this lesson is to demonstrate what happens to animals that get trapped by some kinds of marine debris. Students will experience similar effects to those that happen to animals that get trapped. This activity works well as an engagement activity.

A summary of the work of Danielle Lasseigne, a microplastics researcher at the University of the Virgin Islands

Students will learn what microplastics are, where they come from, and their effect on the environment.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  A summary of annual efforts on a large-scale, community-based cleanup effort of mangrove shorelines.

Students will investigate and learn about nearby watersheds and about the ridge-to-reef concept. Students will use this knowledge to investigate how marine debris gets into and moves around the ocean. They will look for evidence to determine the source (land or sea) of different types of marine debris.

In this activity, students will investigate how long it takes different types of debris to degrade and how weather and sunlight affect the breakdown rate. Students will learn how degradation rates impact how long debris persists in the environment. Students will learn the difference between human-made and natural materials.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  A summary of the distribution of marine debris (specifically microplastics) throughout the water column and food web.

Students will learn about what happens to floating marine debris (surface, near surface, and in the water column) that doesn’t get collected during beach cleanups. They will apply knowledge of oceanic water movement to understand why trash gets trapped in specific areas in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Students will interpret maps published in news articles.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  A summary of the most commonly found marine debris items in USVI.

Career highlight by Zola Roper, then graduate student at the University of the Virgin Islands studying marine debris.