nwhı, currents and pollutıon

Concepts Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Whether it sinks, floats, or stays suspended in the water column, plastics and other marine debris in the ocean result in trouble, and even death for marine life and seabirds.

Standards Addressed SC.8.5.1, 8.8.7

Duration 1 1/2 hour

Source Material PBS

Vocabulary Ingestion Gyre Buoyancy Laceration Water Column

Marine Debris and its Effects on the NWHI

Summary Students will learn that many animals that live in the ocean come into contact with discarded plastic. Because this plastic is not natural to their environment, the animals don’t recognize it or know what do about it. They encounter plastics most often as a result of their feeding behaviors. Often they get entangled in it, are cut and injured, or think it is food and try to eat it.

Objectives • Students will gain an understanding of how currents serve as

a vector for Marine Debris. • Students will learn how different feeding techniques of Sea

Birds of the NWHI determine what types of Marine Debris (Plastics) they may ingest.

• Students will be able to understand that different types of plastics float, sink, or stay in the water column and are neutrally buoyant.

Materials Plastics and Their Uses handout You Are What You Eat handout Marine Animal Cards Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastics Risk Chart Video: Voyage to Kure episode (optional) Scissors Glue

Making Connections Students will learn how to recycle properly and how to ensure that plastics used by humans do not end up in the oceans where currents will take them far and near­ with potential to do harm to marine life around the globe. By practicing proper recycling methods and being as self­sustaining as possible students will learn that their efforts will have positive effects in the future for themselves as well as marine life in the NWHI and throughout the earths oceans.

Teacher Prep for Activity Activity 1: You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life Become familiar with You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life Activity. If decided, obtain a copy of Voyage to Kure episode video. Make enough copies of handouts: 1) plastics and the uses, 2) you are what you eat, 3) marine animal cards, and 4) marine animal feeding habits and plastics risk chart so that each group (3­4 students) has a complete set. Also, a pair of scissors and glue for each group. See activity for further prep hints.

Background The potential for ingestion of plastic particles by open ocean filter feeders was assessed by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation by measuring the relative abundance (number of pieces) and mass of floating plastics and zooplankton near the central high­pressure area of the North Pacific central gyre (the gyre is a large recirculating area of water half­way between California and Hawaii). Plankton abundance was approximately five times higher than that of plastic, but mass of plastic was approximately six times greater than that of plankton. This area is far from land, and many types of marine life feed here.

The effects of plastics on marine life can be devastating. Aquatic animals may be harmed by plastic objects in a variety of ways, depending on the shape and buoyancy of the object. These animals may suffer injury of even death from their encounters with plastics. Animals can be harmed through entanglement, laceration, suffocation, and ingestion.

The buoyant properties of water allow some plastics to float, some to sink, and some to stay in the water column. The types of plastics marine animals may come into contact with depend on where they live and eat: at the water’s surface, its bottom, or floating in the water column between the surface and bottom. All we see are the plastics on the surface, but there are many different varieties and shapes of plastic objects below the surface. Because we can’t see this pollution, we may forget that it exists. As cities grow and more plastics are produced and enter the marine environment, marine species will continue to be affected unless we make careful choices regarding plastics use and disposal.

Procedure Activity 1: You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life

1. Use ideas from the Voyage to Kure Viewing Guide to set the scene. Pay particular attention to the Segment Suggestions for the marine debris theme (film clips from Laysan Island and Midway Atoll). If you do not have access to the Voyage to Kure episode, try to find pictures of marine debris to show the students and lead a discussion about the danger to animals and ecosystems. What do students think about plastics in the ocean? Where does plastic go? Does it go away? What types of animals are most affected?

2. Continue class discussion by exploring the many ways we use plastics in our daily life.

3. Pass out Plastics and Their Uses student handout and discuss the different types of plastics. Note that some cities only accept Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) codes 1 and 2 for recycling. Although many of the other types of plastic are labeled as “recyclable,” in reality, this does not occur and the majority of plastics end up in landfills.

4. From water bottles to computers, we rely on the convenience and availability of plastics to provide many of today’s necessities. List on the board the shapes that plastic can come in, and have students give examples of what they are used for:

One­dimensional objects (line, rope, strapping brands) Two­dimensional objects (sheets, bags) Reticulated (netting, six­pack rings)

Hollow­bodied (bottles, fishing floats) Small particles (Styrofoam, pellets used in making plastic objects) Angular (boxes, crates)

5. Discuss the marine zones in which animals feed (surface, pelagic, and benthic). Have students brainstorm what types of animals might live and feed in each of these zones.

6. Either divide the class into small groups (3­4 students) or distribute materials to individuals. Distribute copies of the You Are What You Eat handout, a set of the Marine Animal Cards, and a Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastics Risk Chart to groups or individual.

7. Have students read You Are What You Eat handout and complete the worksheet activity, placing the marine animal cards on their charts. Keep in mind that there are many different possible “correct” answers; students’ need to primarily have a rationale for their choices.

8. After the groups or individuals have completed the activity, draw the chart on the board. Have each group or student choose one form of plastic (one­dimensional, two­ dimensional, small particles, etc.) and present to the class their results and rationale of what species would most be affected. Allow time to propose different answers, discuss them, and wrestle with different conclusions.

9. Conduct a class discussion on how to reduce the amount of plastics in the marine environment.

Assessment Completion of Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastics Chart Class discussion

Resources http://www.pbs.org/kqed/oceanadventures/educators/pdf/OceanAdv­WhatYouEat.pdf

Albatross and

Pollution

© Sophie Webb 2004

Tracking their Travels and

Tracking Plastic Trash… and Their Interactions

“If we didn’t clean our shorelines, where could the litter go?”

“How can your coastal clean­ up efforts benefit these

unique birds?” A. Nakagawa

Seabird Diversity

Four main orders of seabirds: Sphenisciformes ­ Penguins Procellariiformes – Albatrosses, Shearwaters, Fulmars, & Petrels Pelecaniformes ­ Pelicans, Cormorants, Boobies, Frigate birds

Charadriiformes ­ Gulls, Terns, & Alcids

Penguin

Pelican

H. Nevins

Laysan Albatross

A. Nakagawa

Red­footed Booby

A. Nakagawa

A. Nakagawa

Fairy Tern

What is a seabird?

© W.Henry Diagram credit: Lars Löfgren

Salt gland

A. Nakagawa

A. Nakagawa

Unique characteristic of Procellariiformes?

• Tubular nostrils – often called “tube­nosed seabirds”

Seabird Feeding Methods

(Ashmole 1971)

Plunging

FEEDERS

Photo credit: P.Pyle

Black­footed albatross

Laysan albatross

What makes seabirds vulnerable? What makes seabirds vulnerable? • Long­line and other fishery interactions

• Oiling from oil spills

• Threats to breeding colonies: introduced mammals, habitat destruction

Photo: W. Henry

Ebbert

• Marine debris (plastic pollution)

What are some threats to seabirds? • entanglement

What makes seabirds vulnerable? • Plastic ingestion

Seabirds most susceptible to plastic ingestion

Saenz

Saenz

• Black­footed and Laysan Albatross

Photo credit: Kinnan

Should contain: •50% fish •32% squid •5% crustaceans •10% stomach oil (Harrison et al. 1983 Fry 1987)

Analysis of Albatross Chick Boluses

• Kure Atoll, Hawaiian Island Chain (Kinan 2000) – Analyzed 144 boluses from Laysan and Black­footed albatrosses

– Plastic found in every single one (100%)

Photo: C. Vanderlip

Effects of plastic ingestion?

• Large plastic items – ulcerations, infection & obstruction

• Small plastic items – reduce meal size, dehydration

• Both may cause death

• Leaching of toxic chemicals from the plastic ?

• Decreased breeding success ?

Long­term effects of plastic ingestion?

• everywhere ­ both marine and coastal environments

• floating

• water column

• on the seabed

• on beaches and shores

Where is marine debris found ?

90% of floating marine debris is plastic 2.5 cm

1 inch

Photos: Kathy Cousins / Irene Kinan

How does plastic get into the sea?

1. Littering by beachgoers

2. Run­off from land e.g. rivers and storm drains

3. Direct dumping into the ocean

4. Accidental loss from ships

Major Ocean Currents

North Pacific Gyre

1 Shoe Spill May 27, 1990 2 250 recovered, March 26, 1991 3 200 recovered, May 18, 1991 4 100 recovered, Jan­Feb 1991 5 200 recovered, Nov.­Dec.1991

6 200 recovered Feb.Mar 1991 7 150 recovered April 1991 8 200 recovered May 1991 9 Several recovered Jan­Mar 1993 10 Predicted Jan­July 1994

Facts about Plastic in the Gyre (Algalita Marine Research Foundation)

• 6 lbs of plastic for each pound of surface zooplankton in the North Pacific central Gyre

• Plastic does not biodegrade; it’s broken down by sunlight into smaller pieces

Pop Quiz !!!!!

1. What do albatross chicks regurgitate? A bolus

2. How much of floating debris is plastic? 50% 90% 20%

3. Most marine debris comes from land sources. True or False

4. How is marine debris moved around bays and oceans?

Winds & Currents

5. What seabird feeding method can result in eating lots of plastic?

Diving for food Picking food from the ocean surface

6. Why?

Solutions…..

How can you be part of the solution?

Photos courtesy Captain Charles Moore ­ AMRF

MAHALO

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You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine LifeJust because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Whether it sinks or floats, plastics in the sea spell

trouble for all the animals in the ocean. By matching animal cards to plastic risks, students find out the many

ways marine life can be affected by plastics in their aquatic home.

Many animals that live in the ocean come into contact with discarded plastic. Because this plastic is not natural to their environment, the animals don’t recognize it or know what to do about it. They encounter plastics most often as a result of their feeding behaviors. Often they get entangled in it, are cut and injured, or think it is food and try to eat it. The California Coastal Commission web site (http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/marinedebris.html) notes that a recent study found an average of 334,271 pieces of plastic per square mile in the North Pacific Central Gyre, which serves as a natural eddy system to concentrate material. Results of more than 10 years of volunteer beach cleanup data indicate that 60 to 80 percent of beach debris comes from land-based sources. Plastic marine debris affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86 percent of all sea turtle species, 44 percent of all sea bird species, and 43 percent of marine mammal species. (Note: this research has been documented by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Our Synthetic Sea, a video available at http://algalita.org/videos.html.

Plastics and Marine LifeThe potential for ingestion of plastic particles by open ocean filter feeders was assessed by the Algalita Marine Research Foundation by measuring the relative abundance (number of pieces) and mass of floating plastic and zooplankton near the central high-pressure area of the North Pacific central gyre. (The gyre is a large recirculating area of water halfway between Los Angeles and Hawaii.) Plankton abundance was approximately five times higher than that of plastic, but the mass of plastic was approximately six times that of plankton. This area is far from land, and many types of marine life feed here. The effects of plastics on marine life can be devastating. Aquatic animals may be harmed by plastic objects in a variety of ways, depending on the shape and buoyancy of the object. These animals may suffer injury or even death from their encounters with plastics. Animals can be harmed through entanglement, laceration, suffocation, and ingestion.

SUBJECTSScience

GRADE LEVELGrades 6 through 10

TIMEOne class period

OBJECTIVESStudents will be able to• understand that different types

of plastics float, sink, or stay neutrally buoyant.

• learn where ten marine species feed in the water column.

• make connections between where a marine organism lives and feeds and the types of debris to which it is exposed.

MATERIALS• Plastics and Their Uses handout • You Are What You Eat handout• Marine Animal Cards—one set

per student or student group• Marine Animal Feeding Habits

and Plastics Risk Chart • Voyage to Kure Viewing

Guide, found at pbs.org/oceanadventures/educators (optional)

• Copy of Voyage to Kure episode of Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures series (optional)

1. Moore, C. J., S. L. Moore, M. K. Leecaster, and S. B. Weisberg, 2001. A comparison of plastic and plankton in the North Pacific Central Gyre. In: Marine Pollution Bulletin 42, 1297-1300.

2. Laist, D. W., 1997. Impacts of marine debris: entanglement of marine life in marine debris including a comprehensive list of species with entanglement and ingestion records. In: Coe, J. M. and D. B. Rogers (Eds.), Marine Debris—Sources, Impacts and Solutions. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 99-139.

You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life 2

STANDARDSNational Science Education Standards Grades 5-8 (http://www.nap.edu/catalog/ 4962.html)Unifying Concepts and Processes: Systems, order, and organizationForm and function

Physical Science - Content Standard B: Properties and changes of properties in matter

Life Science - Content Standard C: Structure and function in living systems

Science and Technology - Content Standard E: Understandings about science and technology

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives - Content Standard F: Natural Hazards

The buoyant properties of water allow some plastics to float, some to sink, and some to stay in the water column. The types of plastics marine animals may come into contact with depend upon where they live and eat: at the water’s surface, its bottom, or floating in the water column between the surface and bottom. All we see are the plastics on the surface, but there are many different varieties and shapes of plastic objects below the surface. Because we can’t see this pollution, we may forget that it exists. As cities grow and more plastics are produced and enter the marine environment, marine species will continue to be affected unless we make careful choices regarding plastic use and disposal.

PROCEDURE1. Introducing Marine Debris: Use ideas from the Voyage to Kure

Viewing Guide to set the scene. Pay particular attention to the Segment Suggestions for the marine debris theme (film clips from Laysan Island and Midway Atoll). If you do not have access to the Voyage to Kure episode, try to find pictures of marine debris to show to students and lead a discussion about the danger to animals and ecosystems. What do students think about plastics in the ocean? Where does plastic go? Does it go away? What types of animals are most affected?

2. Class Discussion: Continue class discussion by exploring the many ways we use plastics in our daily lives.

3. Plastics Handout and Discussion: Pass out Plastics and Their Uses student handout and discuss the different types of plastics. Note that most cities only accept Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) codes 1 and 2 for recycling. Although many of the other types of plastic are labeled as “recyclable,” in reality, this does not occur and the majority of plastics end up in landfills.

4. List Types of Plastics: From water bottles to computers, we rely on the convenience and availability of plastics to provide many of today’s necessities. List on the board the shapes that plastic can come in, and have students give examples of what they are used for:One-dimensional objects (line, rope, strapping bands)Two-dimensional objects (sheets, bags)Reticulated (netting, six-pack rings)Hollow-bodied (bottles, fishing floats)Small particles (Styrofoam, pellets used in making plastic objects)Angular (boxes, crates)

5. Discuss Marine Zones: Discuss the marine zones in which animals feed (surface, pelagic, and benthic). Have students brainstorm what types of animals might live and feed in each of these zones.

You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life

6. Form Groups, Distribute Handouts: Either divide the class into small groups (3-4 students) or distribute materials to individuals. Distribute copies of the You Are What You Eat student handout, a set of the Marine Animal Cards, and a Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastic Risk Chart to groups or individuals.

7. Student Worksheets: Have students read You Are What You Eat and complete the worksheet activity, placing the marine animal cards on their charts. Keep in mind that there are many different possible “right” answers; students primarily need to have a rationale for their choices.

8. Present Rationales: After the groups or individuals have completed the activity, draw the chart on the board. Have each group or student choose one form of plastic (one-dimensional, two-dimensional, small particles, etc.) and present to the class their results and rationale of what species would be most affected. Allow time to propose different answers, discuss them, and wrestle with different conclusions.

9. Reflection: Conduct a class discussion on how to reduce the amount of plastics in the marine environment.

TEACHER NOTES• Here are some possible worksheet answers. Your students may

have additional answers with plausible rationales. This is an area of active scientific investigation; we have yet to learn the extent of devastation caused by plastic marine debris.

Answer Key: Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastic Risk

EXTENSIONS• Have students bring different types of plastic trash from home, or

use the trash from their lunches. Conduct buoyancy experiments to see which pieces float, which sink, and which are neutrally buoyant. Group like objects together based on buoyancy. Now check their recycle number on the bottom—the number in the triangle. Do all types of plastic with the same number have the same buoyancy? What might affect the buoyancy besides the type of plastic (e.g. the shape of the object)?

Ocean Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts(http://coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/)

Essential Principle #5: The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.e. The ocean is three-dimensional,

offering vast living space and diverse habitats from the surface through the water column to the seafloor. Most of the living space on Earth is in the ocean.

f. Ocean habitats are defined by environmental factors. Due to interactions of abiotic factors such as salinity, temperature, oxygen, pH, light, nutrients, pressure, substrate and circulation, ocean life is not evenly distributed temporally or spatially, i.e., it is “patchy”. Some regions of the ocean support more diverse and abundant life than anywhere on Earth, while much of the ocean is considered a desert.

One dimensional

Two dimensional Reticulated Hollow Small Angular

Surface Feeders 6 6 9 8 3,7,9

Pelagic Feeders 4,5 6,8 4,8 1,2,4,5 10 2

Benthic Feeders 4 6 2 2 10 2

You Are what You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life

• Get a list from your local refuse agency that indicates what plastics they accept for recycling, and sort your plastic trash from the preceding extension activity accordingly. Are the recyclable plastics primarily floaters or sinkers? Do you think that the plastic that is more easily recyclable ends up in the ocean less often than those that are not recyclable in your area? Which ocean animals might recycling plastic help most?

FURTHER REFERENCESAdditional educator resources for Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures can be found at pbs.org/oceanadventures

Also, try:• Algalita Marine Research Foundation: Plastic Debris Rivers to Sea

http://www.plasticdebris.org/ • California Coastal Commission: The Problem with Marine Debris

http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/marinedebris.html • The Ocean Channel: Ocean Pollution

http://www.ocean.com/resource.asp?resourceid=1334&catid=&locationid=1

• The Smithsonian Institution: Ocean Planet—Pollution Solution http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/ocean/pollution/essay.html

CREDITSAdapted with permission from Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds: California Coastal Commission Science Activity Guide. For more information or to order copies, contact the California Coastal Commission, 45 Fremont Street, Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94105, (415) 904-5215, coast4u@coastal.ca.gov. The publication can be ordered or downloaded at http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/waves/waves1.html

The California Coastal Commission originally adapted the activity from “Animals’ Feeding Ranges and Plastics” in Plastics Eliminators: Protecting California Shorelines by the California Aquatic Science Education Consortium. Available at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/InOrder/Shop/ItemDetails.asp?ItemNo=21608

Jean-Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures is produced by KQED Public Broadcasting and Ocean Futures Society.

The exclusive corporate sponsor is The Dow Chemical Company.

Additional Major Support from: the William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation, Ann Bowers and The Robert Noyce Trust, the William and Gretchen Kimball Fund, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

Essential Principle #6: The ocean and humans areinextricably interconnected.e. Humans affect the ocean in a

variety of ways. Laws, regulations and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (point source, non-point source, and noise pollution) and physical modifications (changes to beaches, shores and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.

g. Everyone is responsible form caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

1You Are what You Eat: Plastics and Marine LifeStudent Handout

Plastics and Their Uses

Name SPI1 Code Description Uses

PET, PETEPolyethylene terephthalate 1

High strength; transparent; barrier to gas and moisture, resistant to heat; sinks in water

Plastic soft drink and water bottles, beer bottles, mouthwash bottles, peanut butter and salad dressing containers, ovenable film and ovenable prepared food trays.

HDPEHigh density polyethylene

2

Tough; chemical and moisture resistant; permeability to gas; translucent or opaque matte finish; floats in water

Milk, water and juice containers, trash and retail bags, liquid detergent bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners.

PVC Polyvinyl chloride 3

Hardy; chemical resistant; resistant to grease/oil; transparent, translucent or opaque; sinks in water.

Clear food packaging, shampoo bottles, medical tubing, wire and cable insulation.

LDPELow density polyethylene

4

Tough; lightweight; barrier to moisture; can be nearly transparent or opaque; low to high gloss; floats in water.

Bread bags, frozen food bags, squeezable bottles, fiber, tote bags, bottles, clothing, furniture, carpet.

PPPolypropylene

5

Hard; resistant to chemicals; resistant to heat; barrier to moisture; resistant to grease/oil; transparent, translucent, or opaque; floats in water.

Ketchup bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs, medicine bottles

PS Polystyrene

6Stiff; transparent or opaque; smooth surface; sinks in water.

Compact disc jackets, aspirin bottles

EPSExpanded polystyrene

6Lightweight; heat resistant; insulating; opaque; foamed; floats in water.

Food service applications, grocery store meat trays, egg cartons, cups, plates.

Other

7

Use of this code indicates that the package in question is made with a resin other than the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin listed above, and used in a multi-layer combination. Characteristics dependent on resin or combination of resins.

Three and five gallon reusable water bottles, some citrus juice and catsup bottles.

1 Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.

2You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine LifeStudent Handout

You Are What You Eat

Do different forms of plastic affect animals feeding in different parts of the ocean? Here is some information that will help you answer this question and fill out your Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastic Risk chart.

The Three Marine ZonesScientists divide bodies of water into three basic areas:

1. The surface zone: the very surface of the water where it meets the air and things float where you can see them.

2. The pelagic zone: the open water below the surface where neutrally buoyant fish swim and plankton float.

. The benthic zone: what lies beneath the bottom of the water; consists of mud, sand, or rock.

Where Marine Life EatsDifferent forms of marine life gather their food in different zones. For example, some birds are surface feeders. They skim along just above the ocean’s surface, and scoop up small bits of floating fish. Many fish are pelagic feeders. They swim about, eating smaller animals, plankton, and other food that share the water with them. Many whales, turtles, seals, and diving birds are pelagic feeders. Other kinds of fish, turtles, whales, and sea otters swim along the bottom to scoop up food from the ocean floor. They are called benthic feeders. Animals that feed in different areas of the ocean often interact with different forms of plastic. For example, a bird skimming the ocean surface might accidentally scoop up bits of floating plastic pellets thinking they were food, but wouldn’t scoop up a large, floating, angular object such as a Styrofoam ice chest, or a hollow object such as a plastic bottle.

Activity Directions1. Arrange each card in your packet on the chart so that the

animals are: • Located under the form of plastic they will have trouble

with, and• Next to the zone where they feed

2. Then, take the card off of the square and write the animal’s name in the square. One animal may be affected by more than one type of plastic, and may feed in more than one habitat, so there will likely be more than one animal name in a square.

3. You will compare charts with other students. Be sure to be able to explain your rationale for placement.

1You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine LifeTeacher Handout

Marine Animal Cards

1

Bottlenose Dolphin feeds on surfperch in open water below surface, grabs with teeth.

2

Orca eats fish and marine mammals, grabs with teeth. Feeds in open water below surface.

Gull eats fish, inter-tidal org-anisms, beach debris. Feeds on shore, top of water, grabs food with beak.

Sperm Whale eats squid and fish below surface. Grabs food with long, narrow mouth.

5

Common Dolphinfeeds below surface in open water. Grabs small squid, other small fish with teeth.

6

Loggerhead Sea Turtle eats jellies, fish, mussels, clams, crabs. Grabs them with toothless mouth.

7

Elegant tern feeds on anchovies and other fish. Floats or dive shallowly into the water.

8

Sea Bass feeds below surface in open water. Sucks herring, krill, and anchovies into its large mouth.

9

Forster’s Tern feeds on various small fish. Floats along or dives shallowly into water.

10

Sea Otter feeds on benthic urchins and shellfish, bringing them to the surface to eat.

MARINE ANIMAL CARDS

Photocopy and cut along dotted lines. Each student receives one complete set of cards.

2You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine LifeStudent Handout

Marine Animal Feeding Habits and Plastics Risk Chart

One-D

imensio

nal O

bjects

Two

-Dim

ensional

Ob

jectsR

eticulated O

bjects

Ho

llow

Ob

jectsSm

all Particles

Ang

ular Ob

jects

Surface Feed

ers

Pelag

ic Feed

ers

Benthic

Feeders

Student Name________________________

Marine Debris Post­Quiz Questions Complete the quiz to the best of your ability with the knowledge that you currently have. Following the lesson you will be quizzed again to demonstrate the growth of your knowledge on Marine Debris.

1) What do Albatross Chicks regurgitate?

2) How much of Marine Debris is plastics? Circle one: 20% 50% 90%

3) Most Marine Debris comes from land sources? TRUE FALSE

4) How is Marine Debris moved around Bays and Oceans?

5) What seabird eating method can result in consuming a lot of plastics? Circle one:

Diving for food picking food from the ocean surface

Student Name________________________

Marine Debris Post­Quiz Questions (6 points total) Complete the quiz to the best of your ability with the knowledge that you currently have. Following the lesson you will be quizzed again to demonstrate the growth of your knowledge on Marine Debris.

1) What do Albatross Chicks regurgitate? (1) Bolus

2) How much of Marine Debris is plastics? (1) Circle one: 20% 50% 90% 90%

3) Most Marine Debris comes from land sources? (1) TRUE FALSE True

4) How is Marine Debris moved around Bays and Oceans? (2) Wind & Currents

5) What seabird eating method can result in consuming a lot of plastics? (1) Circle one:

Diving for food picking food from the ocean surface

Voyage to Kure Viewer Guide“We must restore much of Earth from our impact, but these faraway jewels of the sea still thrive with life.

We need only protect them from human harm, and let them be.” —Jean‑Michel Cousteau

In this two‑hour program, Jean‑Michel Cousteau leads an expedition to the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). They are the most remote islands on the planet and serve as reminders of what many other reefs used to be, crowded with wildlife and nearly unspoiled. Their isolation, however, has not been able to protect them completely. Voyage to Kure chronicles Jean‑Michel’s exploration of this nearly pristine environment and his investigation to uncover the stories of its native people and its exploitation by outsiders.

PRE-VIEWING ACTIVITIES• Brainstorm all the ways you as an individual affect the

environment—both positively and negatively—as well as things you can do differently to lessen your negative effects and increase your positive effects.

• Hypothesize as to whether your actions have any affect on the ocean.

• Look at a map to locate all of the ocean basins of our one ocean. Find the NWHI chain on a map. How do you think you might affect this environment?

• Trace the path of man‑made debris from land to sea; investigate how your watershed is connected to the ocean.

• Read the detailed episode description; pay particular attention to the vocabulary words and record them on the Ocean Vocabulary Sheet.

FOCUS FOR VIEWING• Use the Voyage to Kure viewing questions that go with the

segments you watch.

THEMEProtection and maintenance of the ocean, including mechanisms for addressing pollution/marine debris and invasive species

VIEWING TIMETwo hours total; viewing it in shorter segments is recommended

OBJECTIVES Students will be able to• locate ocean basins and the

NWHI on a map.• identify positive and negative

impacts humans have on the ocean and the NWHI and propose ways to lessen the negative impacts and increase the positive impacts.

MATERIALS• Ocean Vocabulary Sheet

student handout• Voyage to Kure Viewing

Questions teacher sheet• Copy of Voyage to Kure episode of the Jean-Michel Cousteau Ocean Adventures series

WEB LINKSVoyage to Kure episode description pbs.org/oceanadventures/episodes/kure

Voyage to Kure Viewer Guide

Kure Waste Chase Game pbs.org/oceanadventures/episodes/kure

Map of the Northwest Hawaiian Islandspbs.org/oceanadventures/kure

Seabird Survival Adaptation Card Game pbs.org/oceanadventures/educators

You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life pbs.org/oceanadventures/educators

The Purple Problem pbs.org/oceanadventures/educators

STANDARDSNational Science Education StandardsGrades 5-8http://www.nap.edu/catalog/4962.html

Life Science -Content Standard C: Populations and ecosystems

Earth and Space Science -Content Standard D: Structure of the earth system

Science in Personal and Social Perspectives -Content Standard F: Personal healthPopulations, resources and environmentsNatural hazardsRisks and benefitsScience and technology in society

FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES• Make a collage showing either (1) the negative impacts humans

have on the marine environment and possible solutions for fixing the problems or (2) positive impacts humans have on the marine environment and examples of good practices. Use pictures from the Ocean Adventures Web site to help.

• Play Kure Clean‑Up; use the Kure Clean‑Up Lesson Plan to enhance the learning of your students.

SEGMENT SUGGESTIONSNOTE: timing listed below is approximate and is based on the PBS broadcast; home video versions may differ slightly.

Themes: Seabirds, marine debris

Location in Voyage to Kure: Tern Island (Part 1, 21:23‑26:26); Laysan Island (Part 2, 12:00‑14:20)

Pre-Viewing Questions: • Why do people move?• Why do animals move/migrate?• What problems do you think animals might encounter as

they migrate?

Focus for Viewing: • Use Questions 1, 2 and 3 for Tern Island from the Voyage to Kure

Viewing Questions.

Post-Viewing Discussion Questions: • What are some of the challenges seabirds face as they migrate?• How do you think seabirds might deal with these challenges?

Follow-up Activity: • Seabird Survival Adaptation Card Game: in this activity, students

separate into small groups, and each group will play a card game that will help them learn about the adaptations seabirds have made and do make and the environmental challenges they face.

Voyage to Kure Viewer Guide

Theme: Marine debris

Location in Voyage to Kure: Laysan Island (Part 2, 12:00‑14:20); Midway Atoll (Part 2, 35:05‑39:23)

Pre-Viewing Questions:• List as many plastic items as you can.• Name some things we use plastic for. How is plastic helpful?• What are some of the dangers of plastic when it is not recycled

or properly disposed of?

Focus for Viewing:• Use Questions 7 through 10 for Laysan Island from the Voyage to Kure Viewing Questions.• Use Questions 4 through 8 for Midway Atoll from the Voyage to Kure Viewing Questions.

Post-Viewing Discussion Questions: • What did you see that surprised you?• What were some of the plastic items you saw? Do you use those types of items?• Which types of animals do you think are most affected by marine debris?

Follow-up Activity: • You Are What You Eat: Plastics and Marine Life: in this lesson,

students learn about different types of plastics and investigate their impacts on marine life.

Theme: Invasive species

Location in Voyage to Kure: Laysan Island (Part 2, 2:23‑8:53)

Previewing Questions:• Share a time that someone invaded your space.• What did the person do? How did it make you feel?• Discuss the concept of invasive species in the plant and

animal worlds.

Focus for Viewing: • Use Questions 1 through 6 for Laysan Island from the Voyage to Kure Viewing Questions handout.

Ocean Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts http://coexploration.org/oceanliteracy/

Essential Principle #1: Earth has one big ocean with many features. a. The ocean is the dominant

physical feature on our planet Earth, covering approximately 70 percent of the planet’s surface. There is one ocean with many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.

h. Although the ocean is large, it is finite and its resources

are limited.

Voyage to Kure Viewer Guide

Essential Principle #6: The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.b. From the ocean we get foods,

medicines, and mineral and energy resources. In addition, it provides jobs, supports our nation’s economy, serves as a highway for transportation of goods and people, and plays

a role in national security.c. The ocean is a source of

inspiration, recreation, rejuvenation and discovery. It is also an important element in the heritage of many cultures.

e. Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (point source, nonpoint source and noise pollution) and physical modifications (changes to beaches, shores and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.

g. Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed in order to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

Post-Viewing Discussion Questions: • Review answers from the Viewing Questions handout.• Describe some of the problems that invasive species cause.

Follow-up Activity: • The Purple Problem: in this lesson, students will learn

about purple loosestrife and the problems it causes as an invasive species.

Additional educator resources for Jean‑Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures can be found at pbs.org/oceanadventures.

CREDITS

Jean‑Michel Cousteau: Ocean Adventures is produced by KQED Public Broadcasting and Ocean Futures Society.

The exclusive corporate sponsor is The Dow Chemical Company.

Additional Major Support from: the William K. Bowes Jr. Foundation, Ann Bowers and The Robert Noyce Trust, the William and Gretchen Kimball Fund, the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.