Texas Teens Take on Plastic Marine Pollution

Coyle Middle School's science teacher Jim Manley was selected to be a team member for lead scientist Maureen Conte, the Ocean Flux Program. He earned this experience via the TXESS Revolution through the University of Texas at Austin. What he didn't foresee was meeting the Plastic Ocean Crew while learning about the Ocean Flux Program off the coast of Bermuda.  Together the two teams of researchers steamed around the North Atlantic for five days last summer.  What Mr. Manley learned from his experience he took back to the classroom. 

The Ocean Flux Program studies sediments on the ocean floor and is the longest open-ocean sediment research - roughly 40 years.  Plastic pollution in the marine environment has over 450 scientific peered reviewed papers published and started about the same time.  Our findings last summer revealed plastic fragments in every sample.   Witnessing this first hand, (literally countless hours of handpicking plastic from sargassum) motivated Mr. Manley to educate his 7th grade students on this issue.  As a group project, Mr Manley encouraged each of his seven science classes to research the problems with plastic in the marine environement.

I had the privilege to Skype to each class telling them about my research and then answer their excellent questions.  Here are the results of their research and their unique way of communicating their findings.

1st period
Group1- Rylie Wreyford, Ashton Simons,and Summer Alonzo do a great job at answering questions related to plastic pollution AND their website will JUMP out at you.
http://marinepollution4science.webs.com/

2nd period
Group 1-Jessica Davis ,Ashlie Byland, Diana Torres, Kangwa Chisanga. This link gets my "seal" of approval! (I mean sea lion)
http://plasticproblem.yolasite.com/

Group 2- Michael Guerrero, Lance Key, Alyssa Buller, Allison Hood.We hope our website is able to provide plenty of information to all who would like to learn and study the plastic ocean thank you for everything- Michael Guerrero!

www.Wix.com
The email is cowboysfreak97@yahoo.com the password is 4617@m


Group 3- vance,blake,malik,ka’juan,angel. This website makes a huge splash! Great design.
http://plastickillstheocean.webs.com/

4th period
1st group
AUBRIE MCINTOSH ,NICOLE JONES,MELISSA HARE,MIA JOHNSON  Simply stated "Pick up that plastic!"  It really is that simple! Great use of color!
 http://pnk20110304125441-7706777.webstarts.com/index.html


5th period
1st group  These students put some time into this one - "Teens of today's generation are the ones who make a difference in today's world."  And you, Kayla Trzupek, Renee Kermes, Morgan Cater, and Gabby Maldonado are doing just that!. Check it out!
www.plasticoceanawareness.webs.com


2nd group
"Its very important for our generation to turn this around and fix it!" Great line students! Go to http://marineecos101.webs.com/  to learn more.  Way to go Courtney Pryor, Lindsey Pikulinski, Cody Richards, Hunter Rollins
4th Group
Umul Lalee, Auqustina Omenihu, Abigail, Catera Farlough - this is probably the coolest website I've ever seen- you guys rock!  Sound and cool transitions are sweet.  www.wix.com/brunettes_beauty/savingmarinelife

5th Group
Facebook Page Name (The Plastic Oceans) These students came up with the idea of Questions and Answers as a way to educate.  Brilliant!  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Plastic-Ocean-Project/183747538335706?sk=wall&filter=2#!/pages/The-Plastic-Oceans/193144610719078
By Logan Bonner, Paige Carrera, Rene Cristales, Leah Nguyen, Aundre Glenn
 
7th period
Team1
Rachel Conachen,Melanie velazquez, sarah honza, Abigail Osborn - Factual and full of info - awesome way to educate people on the problems with plastic (I have a special place in my heart for the name too!)
Facebook : The Plastic Ocean Project  http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Plastic-Ocean-Project/183747538335706?sk=wall&filter=2

Team 2
www.wix.com/itich3/plastic-polluters
Though there is some creative spelling, the message is not lost in translation.  You'll get some insight into the problems with plastic with this link.
by : Leelise Hiticha, Mariah Alaniz, Victoria Patterson, Alden Gartrell


Team 3
Go to this site and VOTE if you think plastic is a problem in the ocean!
Go to- http://www.deathbyplastic.weebly.com/
Team members: Caleb Darnell, Bailey Aleo, Ronny Herrera, Jack Conely, Luke Pearson

Team 4
http://theplasticproject.webs.com/  Learn how the abiota and biota are affected by plastic.
Team members: Will Plunk, Ryan Tayara, Danny Clegg, Blake Allen

Team 5
"Helping get rid of the plastic is VERY easy. All you have to do is once a day pick up ONE piece of trash ANYWHERE" to read more good quotes like this one go to:
http://teamnarwhal.weebly.com/
Team Narwhal Members: Lauren Morrow, Kiara Bess, Savannah Shults, Allison Judd

Team 6
"The ocean covers 72% (and rising) of this small planet and is home to most of the globe's biomass, or living matter, and biodiversity" and this is reason enough to protect our oceans - good stuff Team 6!
http://cleanoceans.weebly.com/
Team Members- Rebeca Volosen , Delyla Halil ,Thuy Nguyen, Denxel Briones, Alante Montgomery

Team 7
Last but not least - the quotes on this website say so much about human impacts on many levels.  But my favorite is "If each of us did just one thing to help the environment, we could change the world.” Jean Beasley—Sea Turtle Hospital
http://theperilsofpollution.webs.com/
Team Members: Jocelyn Sanchez, Hayle Mackey, Amanda Lo, Tori Goodwin

Of all the posts I've ever done, this one is filled with hope of the future for our planet.  Thank you Jim Manley and all your students who contributed to this page.

Best,

Bonnie