We’ve reached 7 million items logged on Marine Debris Tracker! Citizen science can create incredible change when we unite under a common cause. A huge thank you to everyone who uses Marine Debris Tracker!
#marinedebristracker #endplasticwaste #endplasticpollution #citizenscience
At this point, we know that plastics do not decompose. They break down into smaller fragments but never leave the environment.🍃
These plastics are everywhere: from the bottom of the ocean to the icebergs in Antarctica to the lining inside our gut. In fact, the number one item tracked this month on Debris Tracker was plastic fragments. In 30 days, Debris Tracker Users tracked nearly 6,000 plastic fragment pieces.🧩
Sometimes, it feels like the convenient choice to get a straw, lid, or take-away container, but every plastic particle matters. As research begins to shed light on the impact of microplastics on human health and the environment, we can make a difference by refusing single-use plastic items. Every piece of plastic goes somewhere, so let’s reduce our use. Track using Marine Debris Tracker to increase awareness about this issue. 🩵🌊
In the last six months, Marine Debris Tracker users have logged over 3,700 pieces of fishing gear 🎣🚯
Lost, abandoned or derelict fishing gear, also referred to as “ghost gear” is massively impacting our oceans. It’s estimated that between 500,000 and 1 million tons of ghost gear are abandoned in the ocean each year.
Ghost gear can entrap or entangle fish and marine animals. It can smother habitats and release microplastics into the food chain!🪸🦭
Using Marine Debris Tracker to track ghost gear brings more awareness to this issue. The more data we have, the more power there is to change policy and protect the environment. Let’s get tracking! 🐟🤳🌊
Find the UGA Water Quality Webinar series on YouTube to learn about the impacts of plastic pollution on the marine environment, how to form scientific research questions and design experiments, and real-life examples of research design, from microplastics to mushrooms!
Presented by researchers Taylor Maddalene, Karina Alejandra Jimenez Carrasco, and Kathryn Youngblood.
#citizenscience #webinar #sciencewebinar #stemeducation #uga #waterquality #plasticpollution #endplasticpollution #ugaresearch #scientificmethod #researchdesign
Over the last six months, 68% of global litter tracked on @debristracker has been plastic.
The top five items were food wrappers, hard fragments, cigarettes, foam fragments, and other tobacco products.
This litter will inevitably end up in our watersheds unless there is someone to intervene.🚯
Consider being a plastic warrior and organize a clean-up at your local beach, pond, lake, river or stream. You can be the difference between a plastic bottle in a bin or at the bottom of the ocean. 🌊
While you clean-up, make sure to track your data on Marine Debris Tracker! This data can be used to change policy to reduce single-use plastics! Link in bio 💙🌎
#plasticpollution #citizenscience #litter
Happy Earth Day! There are so many ways to lower our environmental impact. Today, whether you are taking a nature walk, participating in a community cleanup, or organizing a city-wide environmental event, why not track the litter you find along the way?
Your data contributes to our growing database of debris around the world. This data can move oceans– okay not litter-ally– but it can change #environmentalpolicies, increase awareness around #plasticpollution, and promote #environmentalstewardship 🌎💙
Happy Earth Day and download the @debristracker app today to get started!
#EarthDay #OnePlanet
Did you know that over 500 billion plastic bottles are used every year?
Many single-use plastics like bottles end up in our environment polluting our oceans, forests, and neighborhoods. In fact, plastic bottles are always among the top five litter items tracked in @debristracker .
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and (if you can’t do the other four) Recycle! Finally, let’s clean up the bottles that are already out in our environment. Let’s get tracking! ♻️🌎
#CitizenScience #PlasticPollution #MarineDebris #SingleUsePlastics
The weather is getting warmer... You know what that means! Community cleanups are upon us!
Download our app to track debris in your area and contribute to our growing citizen science movement. April is #CitizenScienceMonth.
Your data can help inform everyone–from local environmental organizations to scientists around the world fighting plastic pollution.
Link in the bio. 🌊🍃 #PlasticPollution #Litter #Debris #CitSciMonth #CitizenScience #CitSciMonth #MillionActsofScience
After all the planning, data collection, and data analysis, we think up solutions to the problems we’ve seen. In the case of the Mississippi River Initiative, we worked with our partners to find solutions centered around: reuse & reduce, re-design, recycling, education, and last-chance capture. Swipe for more details or read the full report using the link in our bio!
#plasticpollution #citizenscience #researchproject #communityresearch #mississippiriver #environmentalengineering #endplasticpollution #circularity #circulareconomy
After community members surveyed target areas and collected information on litter distribution using Debris Tracker, we analyzed the data to find common items and brand amongst the recorded litter. A total of 174,868 items were recorded, with the most common items being cigarette butts, food wrappers, and beverage bottles. At 75%, the overwhelming majority of litter was made of plastic. The top three recorded brands were Pepsi, Mars, and Coca-Cola. We then used this data to inform decisions about potential solutions to the Mississippi River plastic problem.
#debristracker #citizenscience #mississippiriver #ugaresearch #environmentalengineering #litter #plasticpollution #dataanalysis
Community insights are a crucially important part of any citizen science project! We interviewed key stakeholders in each participating city of the initiative in order to understand how best to interact with and engage their communities, and what potential solutions would have the best chance of addressing the unique challenges each group faces.
#mississippiriver #plasticpollution #citizenscience #citizenscienceproject #mississippiriverplastic #environmentalengineering
Research Spotlight: Mississippi River Methodology
The Mississippi River is one of the most important waterways in the United States. Partners on the project worked together to create a snapshot of pollution along the river. Community volunteers surveyed target areas to understand the accumulation and movement of pollution. This data was examined to understand the state of plastic pollution in these cities and develop a risk map for the water way.
#debristracker #plasticpollution #mississippiriver #citizenscience #participatoryscience #environmentalengineering
