Spotlight

Spotlight For Educators

  • Explore some of our most popular marine debris resources for educators.

    Marine Debris Education Materials

    An infographic of a laptop with flying books on the background and stack of books.
    This tool allows you to explore a full collection of the NOAA Marine Debris Program's curricula and filter based on what is best fit for your classroom.

    Coastal Pollution Tutorial

    A pile of debris sits on a large barge surface.
    In this resource, you can explore three major types of coastal pollution: oil spills, marine debris, and harmful algal blooms. These pages present the sources, impacts, and solutions that scientists and others are using to address each of them.

    MDMAP Guide for Educators

    Students lined up on a beach with measuring rope.
    A resource for educators who are interested in implementing Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) surveys with their students.

    Activities

    Fish illustration.
    Download an assortment of puzzles, brain-teasers, and coloring activities for Grades 1-12. All activities are available for download and print!

    Curricula

    Beach covered with debris.
    Download an assortment of disciplinary lesson plans, units, and full curricula for Grades 1-12. All curricula and lesson plans are available for download and print!

    Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest and Calendar

    A drawing of a coral reef full of sea creatures and trash, with an octopus at the top holding two signs reading "We need clean water to thrive" and "Our home is not your garbage can," artwork by Sahini K. (Grade 6, Florida), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
    The 2025 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! Learn more about the annual NOAA Marine Debris Art Contest.

    Collecting Marine Debris Data

    Volunteers cleaning up marine debris along a shoreline covered in logs.
    Interested in citizen science efforts but not sure where to start? This easy-to-use app will help you collect and analyze data about marine debris in your area. The Marine Debris Tracker App is managed by the University of Georgia.

    At School

    Students around a desk.
    The first step to solving a problem is learning more about it. Learn what you can do to create change at school.

    Garbage Patches

    Oversimplified graphic of "garbage patches" in the North Pacific Ocean.
    What and where are garbage patches, anyway? Find out more about this important marine debris topic.

    Regional Emmy® Award-Winning TRASH TALK

    Trash Talk.
    View our Regional Emmy® Award-winning TRASH TALK video series. Each short video covers a marine debris topic. Here you’ll also find a TRASH TALK Webinar for Educators featuring fun and informative activities to pair with the videos for all age levels.

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

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