[B]THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH AND THE EFFECTS OF PLASTIC DEBRIS IN OUR OCEANS
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[I]Part of the Milstein Science Series At The American Museum of Natural History[/I]
WHAT:
In 2008 Marcus Eriksen sailed 2,600 miles from California to Hawaii on a raft made from 15,000 plastic bottles to raise awareness of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. He recently returned from a voyage through the Sargasso Sea, researching plastic debris trapped in the rotating North Atlantic gyre in the Atlantic Ocean.
Join Dr. Eriksen, director of research and education at California’s Algalita Marine Research Foundation, as he discusses the severe impact of plastic marine pollution in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Learn about the research he conducted on his voyages, see samples of the plastic debris he discovered, and find out what you can do to help solve the world-wide problem of plastic waste.
Moderating the afternoon will be Eugenia Naro-Maciel, marine biodiversity scientist at the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC), who will discuss her own research on the effects of pollution on Sea Turtles. Wildlife expert Jarod Miller will have live animals threatened by plastic debris.
WHEN: Sunday, March 14, noon–4 pm
WHERE: Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, first floor - The American Museum of Natural History
ADMISSION: Free with Museum Admission