Project Details & About Marine Plastics
The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) identifies marine plastic pollution as a top environmental concern. Marine plastics entangle wildlife and boat propellers, are ingested by marine animals, and alter oxygen transfer in environments. Growing evidence indicates that plastics can move toxic chemicals into marine food webs which can have a huge impact on human health. Despite these hazards, Canada lacks a long-term monitoring program for marine plastics. There is limited data about the quantity and composition of marine plastics in Canadian northern and arctic regions, including Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR) at Memorial University has developed technologies and protocols to allow citizen scientists (everyday people) to monitor and collect data on local marine plastic pollution.
Join Project
Through their involvement in this Action Project, interested persons can engage in an important and relevant citizen science activity. The data collected will help inform our understanding of pollution due to plastics, the extent of the issue in Canada, as well as the different types and amounts of plastics found in the environment.
Registration
Project Resources
Participation Guide
PDF
Curriculum Connections
DOC
PDF
Download Marine Tracker App (MDT)
The MDT app is free from the app store or from Google Play. With Marine Debris Tracker, the app lets you easily report where you find marine debris or litter anywhere in the world. For more information, visit http://www.marinedebris.engr.uga.edu/
“How to” Guides
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Partners
Civic Laboratory for Environmental Action Research (CLEAR) engages in action-oriented research through grassroots environmental monitoring. Civic Laboratory’s techniques are developed in recognition that the process of research, as well as research findings, impact the world. We focus on do-it-yourself, feminist, participatory, and activist methodologies based in local knowledge so research contributes to positive change in the environments in which we work and live. Our techniques include place-based and land-based science, action research, citizen science,participatory research, feminist science and technology, do-it-yourself (DIY) and do-it-with-others (DIWO). For more information about CLEAR, visit https://civiclaboratory.nl/