Case Study - Plastic Pollution (Secondary)

• Social Studies
• English
• +3
• 7-9 Grade
• 9-11 Grade

Introductie

This Case Study connects with our Lesson: Polluting the Ocean. It focuses on several of our campaigns conducting ocean clean ups and research.

Instructies

This Case Study connects with our Lesson: Polluting the Ocean. It focuses on several of our campaigns conducting ocean clean ups and research. 

This Case Study takes 70 minutes to complete, or can be used in components.

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© Sea Shepherd 2021

Instructies

Case Study Guide Plastic Pollution - Remote Clean ups (Secondary) .pdf

SEA SHEPHERD CASE STUDY

PLASTIC POLLUTION

Introduction
This lesson is provided by Sea Shepherd.  Sea Shepherd is a marine conservation organisation with a mission to protect the ocean and marine wildlife.  Sea Shepherd works globally on a range of issues impacting the ocean, running numerous direct action campaigns each year.  Ocean pollution is one area Sea Shepherd is working in to help protect marine wildlife.

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Operation Clean Waves
Kiribati is one of the most threatened island nations due to climate change, with some of its atolls predicted to be completely underwater in 30 to 50 years if climate change keeps its current course.

On Fanning Island, a dangerous blend of human impact has converged in a way that may result in this world’s next climate change refugees. Our decisions are transforming and falling on the shoulders of a small island nation that the rest of the world does not see.

Sea Shepherd is working with local communities to determine how to best alleviate the pressures currently weighing on Fanning’s ecosystem and people.

After an initial assessment, it became clear that plastic management is one challenge that Sea Shepherd can help alleviate. The roadsides are dotted with an assortment of single-use materials from tin cans and water bottles to noodle wrappers and styrofoam, with no way off the island. Similar to the plastic found in our oceans ending up in the stomachs of fish and shorebirds, locals have found bits of plastic in the bellies of the chickens and pigs they cook for food.
 

The present waste management model in effect by locals is to burn their waste or bury it in scattered small-scale landfills.

Sea Shepherd has collaborated with the local community to pilot a plastic management program on Fanning Island in order to keep plastics out of their food sources and away from the reef system on which the island is depending on for food, livelihood, and protection. The program will collect, sort, and ship plastics away from Fanning Island on the Kwai, a cargo ship that arrives every 2 months, where it will be properly recycled in Honolulu.

During the transit to Fanning Atoll Sea Shepherd towed a device, known as the manta trawl to collect samples of micro-plastics, completing a transect from Hawaii all the way to the equator.

This video (3.38) shows the impacts on Fanning Island:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk6P-FAPtf8&t=24s

Kiribati
The map shows the location of Fanning Island, Kiribati.

Micro plastics research – Sea of Cortez
Show this video (2.45 min), which shows studies being undertaken in the Sea of Cortez:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ox8dkI1lcI

Cleaning up Cocos Islands
In collaboration with the Costa Rican Ministry of the Environment, and Isla del Coco National Park Rangers, Sea Shepherd’s White Holly has proven a worthy adversary against illegal fishing and marine plastic pollution.  The White Holly’s crew worked to remove tonnes of waste and plastic pollution from the island.

Show this video (3.14min), which shows the work undertaken:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSfwTF9v3ko

Cocos Islands
The map shows the location of Cocos Islands.

Cleaning sea turtle nesting beaches – Cabo Verde
Sea Shepherd crews and Biosfera volunteers worked to remove 4 tonnes of plastic from sea turtle nesting beaches on Cabo Verde.

This video (1.40min) shows a bit of the work undertaken:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbLKaqi4Hw

Cabo Verde
This video (11.57 min) shows the work to clear the loggerhead sea turtle nesting beach of plastic pollution, from fishing nets to trash:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i2frhQKn-g&t=26s

Cabo Verde
The map shows the location of Cabo Verde.

Rainbow tide – Cocos Keeling Islands
Show this video (9 min), which shows the extent of plastic pollution washing up on this remote Australian atoll and Sea Shepherd’s efforts to clear it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfBK7HwgvFM&t=243s

Cocos Keeling Islands
The map shows the location of Cocos Keeling Islands.

Untrashing Djulpan
Sea Shepherd joined forces with the Dhimurru indigenous rangers of North-East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia for a remote clean-up mission. Djulpan is a remote beach, far from any town or city. It is a culturally significant place for the Yolngu people and an important nesting ground for sea turtles.

However, for the past decade, the Dhimurru rangers have been faced with an increasing tide of plastic pollution arriving on their coastline. Together, the teams removed as much plastic from the beach as possible. What they found was beyond comprehension; 250 million pieces of rubbish along the 14km stretch of remote beach.

Untrashing Djulpan tells the story (25.09 minutes):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZLWfoHhf0M

Return to Djulpan
Following on from the successful 2018 remote clean-up campaign, Sea Shepherd returned to the sacred shores of Djulpan in North-East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory and was again confronted by a new wave of plastic pollution.

In collaboration with the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation’s hard working Rangers and Sea Shepherd’s volunteer crew, together they removed over a tonne of trash a day including 12.1 tonnes from an 8.5 kilometre stretch of beach.

Djulpan is an important nesting ground for vulnerable and endangered sea turtles. Volunteers not only found more plastics on the beach, but were astonished to find dozens and dozens of turtle tracks and nests. Something they did not see the previous year.

Tragically, some turtles were found dead, succumbing to the impact of plastic debris. This annual mission to clean-up Djulpan from the increasing tide of trash has become a key conservation campaign to safeguard marine life and their habitats along this stunning and remote stretch of coastline

Return to Djulpan (6.21min):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL6e5sk5j-4&t=42s

Djulpan, Northern Territory

The map shows the location of Djulpan.

Write down three things you have learned?

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Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.  

“Write down three things you have learned?”

Write down one thing you didn't understand?

What don’t you understand?
Ask students to answer the following question using www.LessonUp.app or discuss in the classroom.  

“Write down one thing you didn’t understand?”

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