Marine Debris on the Chesapeake Bay

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Susan Walton, Peasley Middle School, Gloucester, VA.

Is litter and marine debris a problem on the Chesapeake Bay?

• analyze estuarine debris data
• experiment with density of marine debris

5.1 - 6.1 - BIO.1, 9 - ES.1 - LS.1, 10, 12 - PS.1, 2

Materials:

1. Map of the Chesapeake Bay and Research Reserve sites
2. Graph paper
3. Samples from categories of marine debris
4. Small fan
5. Bucket or aquarium of water

I. Is there a problem with estuarine litter and marine debris?

Check these online resources to find out...

• Center for Marine Conservation, Marine Debris Information Office
  *great site!* - photos, info, curricula, activities
• Perilous Marine Debris Dangers posed by debris
  
• Thesis by Kimberly Amaral Photographs/erxtensive Bibliography.

• Other articles:
• Monitoring Marine Debris Pollution Paper.
  
• Office of Water Coastal Debris Paper.

II. Predict which category you would expect to see the largest quantity.

(Categories: styrofoam, paper, wood, metal, etc.)

Discuss which categories you would expect to see more of on the beach.

Use a couple of simple experiments to help students form predictions. Have students test samples of marine debris for density and buoyancy. Predict and test by dropping materials into a 10 gallon aquarium (or other available container.) How easy would it be for wind to blow it into the Bay? Use a small electric fan to have a debris race.

III. Many organizations conduct regular litter cleanups. Sometimes the data are recorded scientifically. This is true of the cleanups that occur on the Goodwin Islands and Catlett Islands of the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve on the York River in Virginia.

Locate the York River on the map of the bay.

Data available in TAB delimited and .WKS format at:

ftp://ftp.vims.edu/pub/cbnerr/data/debrisTAB/CI/CICU9211.TXT

The full set of debris data can be found at:

gopher://back.vims.edu:70/11/research/cbnerr/yorkrr/estdebri

OR ... by going to gopher://vims.edu and stepping through:
/Research Departments
/Chesapeake Bay National estuarine Research Reserve (CBNERR)
/York River Reserve Data and Text Files
/Estuarine Debris

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How does the York River CBNERR data compare with your predictions?
How does the data from the CBNERR compare with the rest of the country?
Check with national facts and figures from the

Listing of debris composition.
Pie chart of debris composition.

For more information:

Marine Debris publications list 1
Marine Debris publications list 2

California Coastal Commission
Bring the Coast to your Classroom!

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