8.11D Human Effect on Resources Organisms and Environment

8.11D Human Effect on Resources Organisms and Environment

Pacific Plastic

The Problem: Example: Imagine sailing in the Pacific Ocean and coming across a plastic waste dump. This is not a scene from a bad science fiction movie, but a reality. In the Pacific Ocean, due to the surface currents, plastics end up in the center of what is known as an ocean gyre. This plastic pile arrives here cast off from many nations. The result harms fish, invertebrates, and plankton found in the area. The obvious answer is to reduce plastic use worldwide.

Guiding Question: Example: What is the best way to raise awareness of the Pacific Ocean plastic waste dump? How can the use of plastics be reduced?

The Product: 1. Produce an ad like poster to be placed around the school to raise awareness of one of the issues. It needs to have the problem stated, pictures of the problem and a solution to the problem illustrated on the poster. The areas to be covered include the dump location, ocean currents, plastic pollution, effect on oceans, and the top 10 things people can do to reduce plastic use.

2. A PSA or Public Service Announcement: Your group needs to come up with a brochure and presentation to promote the need of awareness of one of the factors of Ocean Impact. The areas to be covered include the dump location, ocean currents, plastic pollution, effect on oceans, and the top 10 things people can do to reduce plastic use

Key Concepts: Human activity, such as runoff pollution, can originate from small or large sources on land and water, including motorized vehicles, oil spills, agricultural chemicals, and recreation. Runoff pollution negatively affects beaches and ocean habitats. Overharvesting food from the ocean creates an imbalance in existing ocean food webs. Other examples of the effects of human activity on oceans include climate change, spread of disease, and introduction of invasive species.