Issue 105 - February 2024

Fallen Forests and Rising Ocean Fury

By Dr. Rob Moir

Reports coming in from around the world left no doubt. Last year was the hottest in recorded history. The Earth’s average temperature rose from the preindustrial average by 1.48 degrees Celsius (2.66 degrees Fahrenheit), perilously close to the 1.5 degrees Celsius mark drawn in the sand by scientists as the threshold not to cross. Scientists were at a loss to explain how the jump in temperature could be so much larger than their models predicted. With much talk about carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, they did not see, like the emperor with no clothes, that the land had been stripped of vegetation and degraded.

George Perkins Marsh saw more clearly back in 1847. When speaking to the Agricultural Society of Rutland County, Vermont, he described the situation: “Man cannot at his pleasure command the rain and the sunshine, the wind and frost and snow, yet it is certain that climate itself has in many instances been gradually changed and ameliorated or deteriorated by human action. The draining of swamps and the clearing of forests perceptibly affect the evaporation from the earth and, of course, the mean quantity of moisture suspended in the air. The same causes modify the electrical condition of the atmosphere and the power of the surface to reflect, absorb, and radiate the rays of the sun, and consequently influence the distribution of light and heat and the force and direction of the winds. Within narrow limits, domestic fires and artificial structures also create and diffuse increased warmth, to an extent that may affect vegetation.”

Marsh explained that deforestation leads to desertification. He noted that once lush lands gone to deserts around the Mediterranean from Morocco across the Sahara to the Steppes of Asia and Mongolia, “the operation of causes set in action by man has brought the face of the earth to a desolation almost as complete as that of the moon.”

Environmental degradation and resource scarcity result from misbalancing an environmental equilibrium, said Marsh. As long as we manage to keep resources in good condition, the welfare of future generations will be secured.

Much of the Adirondack Forest was timbered following the Civil War. Marsh argued in 1875 that if the watershed were allowed to deteriorate, there would be insufficient groundwater to provide rivers with adequate water. The Erie Canal would cease to be navigable for the barge transport that was vital to New York’s burgeoning economy. As a result, the Adirondack State Park (9,375 square miles) was created for watershed protection.

Today, the problem is too large to be solved with public parks. Instead, the government could harness market forces with a carbon offset fund that pays the value of the timber harvest. States with forests are obligated by law to raise revenue from timbering. For participating states, the Let Forests Grow Carbon Offset Fund would be matched by local private funds to pay the value not to cut timber on public lands. Private woodlot owners who have registered a timbering plan would also be paid the value at harvest time to leave the forest standing. Market forces reward those who reduce the destructive practice of clear-cutting, let trees pull down carbon dioxide to store more carbon, and let the soil become a bigger sponge to hold more water.

Standing trees provide much more carbon drawdown and water storage than planting new trees. Researchers have found that despite conventional wisdom, an 80-year-old forest has more than twice the carbon stored annually and wildlife values than a 40-year-old stand of trees. The oldest one percent of trees hold 30% of the stored carbon in the forest.

Measuring the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the dipstick we use to quantify the climate calamity. Greenhouse gases have risen from 350 parts per million carbon to 420 parts per million carbon. We have gone from 700 billion tons of carbon in the atmosphere to 800 billion tons, and added a whopping 100 billion more tons of carbon dioxide. Where else can all the carbon go to get us back to 350 ppm?

The world’s biomass amounts to 564 billion tons. Packing that much carbon to increase the volume of plants and animals, an increase of 20%, will take decades and may not always be welcomed. Instead, we must look beneath the ground cover. The world’s soil contains 2800 billion tons of organic carbon. A four percent increase in soil volume would be more than 100 billion tons of carbon. There’s more: when the soil goes through a chemical process to become the black gold called humus, it stores carbon for thousands of years.

Whenever plants use photosynthesis, they draw down carbon dioxide and manufacture liquid carbon in the form of carbohydrates (lipids and sugars). For most plants, two-thirds of the carbon goes to their biomass, and one-third is pushed out of roots to feed the soil. Grasses are exceptional. Salt marsh hay, sea grass, and lawn grasses are the champions. They always exude half of the manufactured carbohydrates from their roots and keep only half for their biomass. Walk on the grass or cut it, and the grass is stimulated to draw down more carbon dioxide to repair itself and provide more for the soil. A New England lawn can put down an inch of soil in one year, weather permitting.

Applied nitrogen burns soil microbes and kills beneficial nematodes Unless quick-release fertilizer is spread on the lawn. The grass plants become addicted to food and water from above, and the plants are pushed apart so roots may be at the surface. The bare spots, called sun spills, bake in the sun. The soil compacts and dies and only the toughest weeds can grow there. The wimpy leaves restricted to a fertilizer diet provide easy munching for pests. The lawn care company comes to the rescue, punching holes, spreading more seeds, and spraying herbicides and pesticides. A chemical lawn has replaced a natural lawn. Rabbits, robins, and turkeys need not apply.

If, instead, established residential lawn owners did not apply quick-release fertilizer, the plants would stay closer together, and roots with fungi and bacteria would go down, opening the soil for living organisms, which include mites, springtails, insects, and worms. Bacteria provide enzymes, make accessible minerals, and fix nitrogen. A fertilizer-free lawn supports complex food webs topped by apex predators, foxes, hawks, and owls.

The Slow Water Carbon Offset Fund incentivizes residential property owners to have natural lawns and to add more lawn grass by paying those who pledge not to use quick-release fertilizers and harmful chemicals $1 per square foot of lawn up to 1000 square feet. The maximum amount granted to a property owner for making the lawn care pledge is $1,000.

The Slow Water Carbon Offset Fund would also pay property owners to slow the runoff by installing green infrastructure with a grant program modeled on Maryland’s Stormwater Program and Los Angeles County’s Safe Clean Water Program. Granted funds would be distributed to residents installing rain barrels, green roofs, permeable pavers that provide a hard surface that can also infiltrate water, a native plant garden designed to absorb water, and Miyawaki forests.

A Miyawaki forest is a micro-forest of perhaps 1,000 square feet, with around 40 different woody plant types representing all stages of succession, from field-loving blueberries, sumac, and pines to old forest oaks, ash, beech, and maples. The plants thrive, growing rapidly as the products of bacteria, including enzymes that thicken plant blades, are shared with all plants by the fungal mycorrhizal network.

Forests have been called the world’s lungs because they inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. Plants successfully moved onto dry land long ago by packing fungi and bacteria around their roots and releasing bacteria and fungi into the atmosphere. Water vapor nucleates around the micro-organic particles to form water droplets that come together to form cumulus clouds. Cumulus clouds, mostly white and drifting low in the atmosphere, reflect sunlight and cast shade to cool the Earth. Decades ago, over 50% of the world was draped in cumulus clouds. Now, cumulus clouds cover a bit less than 50%. The cumulus cloud cover balance has been upset by 1-2%.

The Sun sends 342 watts of energy per square meter to Earth. The outgoing thermal energy has fallen to 339 watts of energy per square meter. One percent less thermal energy leaving Earth has changed the climate and is warming the globe. Several factors are retaining energy from escaping the planet. Greenhouse gases, primarily water vapor (66 to 85%) in the form of high-thin cirrus clouds, reflect energy back. The water vapors that cling to dust, smoke, and other dry particles form a haze where a polar charge prevents cloud formation. Haze holds thermal energy. Finally, changes in the Earth’s surface’s retention of more heat play a big role in the balance of Earth’s energy received and energy released.

Water vapor is the elephant in the climate change room that too few acknowledge because fluctuating concentrations and shifting clouds have not made a compelling hockey-stick graph over the years.

A water droplet, rising and falling in the air, rapidly changes state from gas to water to ice to snow to water (and there may be additional states in between). Water oscillates between endothermic and exothermic reactions, drawing in and releasing heat. It is too quick hurtling through space in multiple states, too unpredictable, and too chaotic for climate scientists to model – predicting tomorrow’s weather is hard enough.

Meanwhile, over the forests where cumulus clouds form out of water vapor, there is a drop in atmospheric pressure. Moist air from high-pressure areas flows into the new lows over forests. Plants have developed a biotic pump to gain water in the moist air drawn off the ocean. When a forest is cut, the biotic pump is severed, and moisture stays over the ocean. Gathering moisture over the ocean gives it more energy. Heavier rains and stronger hurricanes will follow. When trees fall in a forest, the ocean has more energy, and storms become more destructive.

Our folly is to believe we can fix the climate without addressing what we are doing to the land. We have tipped several balances by 1-3%. Our actions causing climate change resulted in the hottest year on record. However, we could have avoided damages from droughts by taking better care of the land. We have worked against water instead of with it. We strip vegetation, bare the land, and destroy soils. Erosion and sedimentation carve and smother. We dry the land with hardened surfaces and spillways. Then, we blame climate, changing weather, industrialization, and people’s use of fossil fuels.

The Let Forests Grow and Slow Water Carbon Offset Funds do much more than offset our carbon footprints. The funds restore the natural cycles of water and carbon to advance responsible stewardship of the land. By acting locally, beginning at home, in our neighborhoods and states, we benefit everyone with a healthier, more verdant, and cooler Earth.

About The Author

Dr. Rob Moir is a nationally-recognized and award-winning environmentalist. He is president and executive director of Cambridge, MA-based Ocean River Institute, a nonprofit providing expertise, services, resources, and information unavailable on a localized level to support the efforts of environmental organizations. Please visit www.oceanriver.org for more information.

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Issue 105 - February 2024

SEVENSEAS Travel Magazine – February 2024 – Issue 105

Feature Destination

The Unseen Costs of Tasmanian Salmon Industry Growth

Tasmania’s salmon industry, a booming enterprise expanding along the island state’s pristine coastline, has become the subject of heated debate and controversy. The industry, now a $1 billion operation, has sparked concerns about environmental degradation and ethical practices. Read more…

Exploring the Best Islands of Tasmania, a Nature Lover’s Paradise

Tasmania’s islands are renowned for their breathtaking beaches, spectacular coastlines, and abundant wildlife. This guide takes you through some of Tasmania’s finest isles, each offering unique landscapes, rich biodiversity, and serene escapes. Read more…

In the Shadow of Gondwana Tasmania’s Ecological Marvels

Tasmania, an isolated island state of Australia, is a bastion of rare and unique biodiversity, a living showcase of ancient ecological history. This verdant, mountainous island, separated from mainland Australia by the tempestuous Bass Strait, has evolved over millions of years into a distinct ecological niche. Read more…

NEWSROOM

SSI Launches ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’ Facebook Group to Unite Divers Worldwide

Scuba Schools International (SSI) has launched a new Facebook group, ‘Underwater Explorers Worldwide’. This exciting new community is designed to bring together divers from around the world to share their knowledge and passion for underwater adventures. Read more…

Mississippi Sound Coalition Files Legal Action vs. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Harrison County, Mississippi, and other members of the Mississippi Sound Coalition (MSSC) filed a Complaint vs. the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to protect the Mississippi Sound and its dolphin population from further harm from polluted. Read more…

CCMI RESEMBID Project Reveals The Crucial Role of Diversity in Coral Restoration & Climate Change Resilience

Little Cayman, Cayman Islands – The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) and project partner, Dr John Bruno, University of North Carolina, have completed a two-year coral restoration research project investigating how Acropora corals with different genetic makeup (genotypes) respond to climate change-related stress. Read more…

11th Hour Racing to Power Italian Professional Sailor Francesca Clapcich

On the heels of The Ocean Race win by its sponsored team, 11th Hour Racing is expanding its work beyond sustainability and ocean health to champion diversity, opportunity, and access in sailing. Read more…

Single-Use Plastic Items Makes Up The Majority of Waste Found Across U.S. National Parks for The Second Year

The 5 Gyres Institute published findings from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, an annual community science project that tracks waste trends in U.S. national parks. Read more…

A Fragile Existence – Under The Wave with Erica Allen, February 2024

In the past three years (2021-2023), over 2,500 West Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) have tragically perished in Florida, a stark consequence of ongoing man-made threats that are contaminating our waterways. Read more…

Embracing Nature’s Symphony at El Lugar Resort

In the heart of Sarapiqui, Costa Rica, where the rhythm of nature beats in harmony with timeless beauty, a new eco-retreat is setting the stage for a ground-breaking approach to sustainable luxury. El Lugar, a resort and working horse ranch, seamlessly marries modern comforts with an unwavering commitment to preserving the lush landscapes that define this breathtaking region. Read more…

Scientists Discover Four New Species of Deep-Sea Octopus

This sighting of glass octopus (Vitreledonella richardi) was unusual - researchers are not sure if it is an act of predation or copulation, as it appears to be multiple octopuses intertwined. Glass octopus are nearly completely see-through, excellent camouflage that allows them advantage against both predators and prey.

Puntarenas, Costa Rica – Scientists aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) have discovered at least four new deep-sea octopus species in a 100-square-mile-sized area off Costa Rica. The international science team discovered the new species during two 2023 expeditions examining seamounts off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Read more…

Fallen Forests and Rising Ocean Fury

CCMI Begins Research Into Blue Carbon: Restoration & The Fight Against Climate Change, Supported by Butterfield

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; 9^th January 2024 – The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) is excited to announce a new programme in collaboration with Butterfield investigating how blue carbon offsets and ecosystem-based restoration can be put into practice in the Cayman Islands to mitigate climate change. Read more…

A Commitment As Deep As the Caribbean Sea: Sandals Resorts & Beaches Resorts Reach New Milestone in Sustainable Scuba Diving Practices

As long-standing partners immersing travellers under the colourful depths of the Caribbean Sea with a sustainable-first approach, today – together with PADI – Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate their newly obtained Green Fins digital membership. Read more…

11th Hour Racing Provides Support to Nonprofit Organizations in Coastal Communities

Connecticut College professor Dr. Maria Rosa and students are deploying 80 Reef Balls to help restore tidal marshes in Connecticut.

11th Hour Racing announced its support of nine new U.S. grant recipients as part of its ongoing philanthropic efforts funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation. These nonprofit organizations are leading initiatives at the crossroads of education and the environment in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Puerto Rico. Read more…

CCMI Scientific Publication Reveals The Negative Impact of Sound on Fish in Grand Cayman

The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI), funded by Walkers and the UK Government’s Darwin Plus Programme, recently published a paper in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports following a study into the response of fish in Grand Cayman harbour to the reduction of water-based activities, including shipping, during the Covid-19 lockdown. Read more…

SEVENSEAS Beach Cleanup & Coral Restoration Events in Marine Protected Areas

Beach Cleanup Event

Coral Nursery & Restoration Activity

In July 2023, SEVENSEAS Media conducted two impactful events in Krabi, Thailand. The Monthly Beach Cleanup Event at Ao Sew Beach saw enthusiastic volunteers remove a staggering 150.6 kilograms of trash, underscoring the pressing issue of marine pollution and the significance of sustainable practices like reducing, reusing, and recycling waste. The organization stressed the importance of proper waste management to protect coastal ecosystems.

Meanwhile, in the face of an unexpected storm, SEVENSEAS Media’s Coral Nursery & Restoration team demonstrated unwavering dedication, rescuing and relocating 75 corals to safer locations, bolstering their chances of survival and growth. The team outlined a comprehensive plan for continued coral recovery missions and data collection efforts throughout the year. The recent storm served as a stark reminder of the urgency to safeguard coral reefs from climate change impacts. We would like to express our gratitude for the support received from individuals and communities in this conservation community. We would not be able to do it without your support. You can make a tax-deductible donation here to keep our publications and Thailand Cleanup Project afloat.

You can either make a direct financial contribution to SEVENSEAS Media through The Ocean Foundation website or connect us with potential donors by sending an email to Giacomo Abrusci, our Editor-in-Chief.

The FREE Weekly Conservation Post and Jobs List

Signing up for the free Global Marine Community Weekly Post will get you a round-up of upcoming events, webinars, meetings, reports, funding opportunities, photos of the week, and recent postings to the jobs list.

To sign up for our free subscription, please Click Here, or email us Here.

Since 2004, the Global Marine Community (Formerly DCMC) has fostered an informal and non-partisan platform to promote understanding of key issues and challenges while building partnerships across an increasingly diverse group of marine conservation professionals and students.

Our mission is to promote communication and build partnerships across the Global Marine Community and to identify and address gaps in the community’s work. The Global Marine Community achieves this through multimedia promotion and partnerships. The community consists of a diverse and growing group of participants, including non-governmental organizations, government agencies, foundations, bilateral and multilateral agencies, fellowship programs, and independent consultants and academia/students.

If you are interested in contributing or getting involved, email Here.

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Issue 105 - February 2024

CCMI Scientific Publication Reveals The Negative Impact of Sound on Fish in Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands – The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI), funded by Walkers and the UK Government’s Darwin Plus Programme, recently published a paper in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports following a study into the response of fish in Grand Cayman harbour to the reduction of water-based activities, including shipping, during the Covid-19 lockdown.

The project examined the response of fish communities to this period of altered activity, measuring number of individual fish and species, and the biomass of fish at Eden Rock, Don Fosters, Fish Point, and Wharf from 2020-2022. This study provides unprecedented insights to the impacts of human activity and the resilience of reef fish populations.

CCMI’s research team found that the abundance and biomass of fish populations near the main harbour of Grand Cayman were lowest when the study began near the start of lockdown, in July 2020, and continued to increase through 2021 to early 2022 in the absence of cruise ships.

It is likely that these increases are due to shifts in fish behaviour, where they re-enter areas of previously high activity, and improved fish fitness, leading to more reproduction. Research has found that reductions in stress from water-based activities, such as noise and boat waste, improve fish feeding, sociality, reproduction, and overall healthy functioning.

When compared to data from 2018, CCMI’s results showed a three-fold significant increase in reef-fish biomass during the lockdown. These benefits were also seen in individual fish species, such as parrotfish, which are crucial for maintaining healthy coral reef systems.

CCMI’s Postdoctoral Researcher, Dr Jack Johnson, explains what these results mean:

“CCMI’s findings are exciting because they prove that both immediate and long-term changes in fish communities can occur when human water-based activities are limited. Given the role of fish for coral reef health, these findings should be considered in future coral reef management strategies.”

Location of the survey sites in Grand Cayman (A) (DF Don Fosters, ER Edens Rock, FP Fish Point, WF Wharf) shown within the Caribbean Sea (B). The black box in (B) indicates the location of Grand Cayman. (C) is the number of large passenger vessels visiting Grand Cayman form January 2018 through to December 2022 with a trendline (purple line) fit using locally weighted scatterplot smoothing showing 95% confidence intervals (grey area). (D) View from Eden Rock survey sites of cruise ships in port on April 26, 2022 (photo by GG-G).

Similar studies have documented the short-term effects on Covid-19 lockdowns on biodiversity. However, CCMI’s study is unique that these effects were examined over a two-year period and showed substantial benefits to fish populations in Grand Cayman over a longer duration with the reduction of stress from water-based activities.

These findings could have implications for future planning decisions in the marine environment of the Cayman Islands. Society relies on healthy fish populations for many services, food provision, fisheries and tourism are well known supporting functions of reef fish. However, additional benefits such as grazing algae and maintaining ecosystem balance are also crucial to the healthy functioning of coral reefs and the wider marine environment.

In addition to the economic and dietary benefits, a healthy marine environment can also support climate change mitigation, provide coastal protection from storm surge, and regulate climate and weather.

Coral reefs are an essential ecosystem that underpin societal well-being, supporting health, the economy and coastal security.

These ecosystems are under threat, and the more scientists understand what impacts their health, the better we can protect them through planning and management. CCMI’s research shows how reef fish populations can bounce back when stresses such as noise and pollution from shipping activity is reduced.

CCMI presented the findings from this research to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations to ensure that the results are disseminated to managers and decision makers for consideration during planning decisions around development and marine activities.

As the world has re-opened after Covid-19, this study demonstrates that key lessons can be learnt from this time about the impacts of human activity on nature and how this can inform management for a sustainable and resilient future.

Read the full paper here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-49221-y

ABOUT CCMI

CCMI is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 to protect the future of coral reefs, envisioning a world with vibrant oceans and healthy coral reef ecosystems. We seek to be the Caribbean’s premier marine research institute by delivering cutting edge research, transforming conservation strategy and developing education programmes of excellence – discovering and promoting real solutions to declining ocean health. Our plan is to invigorate key species and understand key ocean processes that drive reef resilience. We support early career scientists who are INNOVATING ways to improve coral reef health. We are TRANSFORMING conservation strategy and work to inspire the CHANGE that is needed to achieve our mission. CCMI are PIONEERS in the region working to reverse the declines of coral reefs.

CCMI is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (ID# 22-3609293). CCMI is also a UK charity (#1104009) and Cayman Islands nonprofit (NP-03) with satellite offices in both the United Kingdom and on Grand Cayman. To deliver our mission, we also have a range of outstanding international partnerships and collaborators, all with a clear, simplistic goal to protect oceans for the future.

CCMI has a 2023 Candid. (formerly Guidestar) Platinum Seal of Transparency.

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Issue 105 - February 2024

Single-Use Plastic Items Makes Up The Majority of Waste Found Across U.S. National Parks for The Second Year

Results from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz Underscore Urgent Need to Address Single-Use Plastic in National Parks

SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA (January 31, 2024) — The 5 Gyres Institute published findings from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz, an annual community science project that tracks waste trends in U.S. national parks. According to data submitted by volunteers, plastic is the most prevalent material polluting national parks and federal lands for the second year in a row.

Single-use plastic items made up the bulk of waste found, with food wrappers, cigarette butts, wipes, bottles and bottle caps, film, and bags included in the top 10 identifiable items. Notably, plastic fragments made up 25% of the entire study, exhibiting plastics’ tendency to break up into smaller and smaller pieces once in the environment.

The top brands identified primarily represent tobacco and food & beverage companies, including Marlboro, Camel, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Budweiser. For the first time, this year’s report also tracked brands to their respective parent corporations, finding Philip Morris International as the top corporate polluter in the study.

I am a climber, a trash data junkie and a scientist. I am stoked for the results of our extensive analysis of the trash in national parks and federal lands because it will allow us to better understand how to prevent the trash from getting into the environment and teach us personally how to be better rock climber stewards and how we can respectfully recreate in these special landscapes. ⎯ Dr. Win Cowger, Research Director, Moore Institute of Plastic Research

Project partners mobilized volunteers across the country to participate at national parks and federal lands like urban parks, forests, and monuments managed by the National Park Service. From April through November, hundreds of volunteers participated in 199 data collection and clean-up hauls across the country, inputting more than 8,000 pieces of trash into the TrashBlitz research platform. TrashBlitz volunteers also sampled data at Yosemite Facelift, an annual cleanup event in Yosemite National Park during which 1,476 volunteers collected 10,432 pounds of trash.

The data from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz underscores an urgent need to address single-use plastic in national parks. In addition to passing legislation like the Reducing Waste in National Parks Act, which would ban several of the top items found, parks can take steps like increasing access to refill stations and implementing reusable foodware for on-site dining.

The report also recommends expanding TrashBlitz audits across the National Parks Service next year to better track trends. This year’s audit had plastic making up 66% of material recorded, compared to last year’s 81%, but with limited data, it’s unclear if this represents a trend across all parks. Notably, many park units have taken steps to reduce single-use plastic in the past year, like Yosemite Hospitality’s removal of single-use plastic bottles.

The full report from Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz can be found at 5gyres.org/PlasticFreeParks.

Nonprofit and brand partners supporting Plastic-Free Parks TrashBlitz include 5 Gyres, Accenture, Active San Gabriel Valley, Adventure Scientists, Azulita Project, Bee’s Wrap, Break Free From Plastic, BYOBottle, Center for Environmental Health, ChicoBag & To-Go Ware, Culture of Cleanliness, Epson America, Inc., Grove Collaborative, Habits of Waste, Heal the Bay, Heirs To Our Ocean, Inland Ocean Coalition, Klean Kanteen, Last Plastic Straw, LIDSOFF.org, Liquid Death, Mission:Clean Beaches, Moore Institute, No Trace Trails, Oceana, Parks Project, Pepperdine University, Plaine Products, Plastic Free Future, Plastic Pollution Coalition, Preserve, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Ray Brown’s Talkin’ Birds radio show, Save Our Shores, Sea Save Foundation, Shark Stewards, Student PIRGs, Sway, The Bay Foundation, The Last Beach Cleanup, Toad&Co, Upstream, and Yosemite Climbing Association.

About The 5 Gyres Institute

The 5 Gyres Institute (5 Gyres) is a leader in the global movement against plastic pollution with more than 10 years of expertise in scientific research, engagement, and education. With the original goal of answering a few key scientific questions about ocean plastics, co-founders Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins led 19 research expeditions in all five subtropical gyres, as well as many of the world’s lakes and rivers. 5 Gyres continues to lead with scientific research to drive upstream solutions through education, advocacy, and community building. Learn more at 5gyres.org and @5gyres.

About TrashBlitz

TrashBlitz is a data collection platform and community-focused research project created by The 5 Gyres Institute. The community-based project is designed to engage local stakeholders in measuring plastic pollution and other trash across various cities – from shorelines to riverbeds to urban neighborhoods – and utilizing data to generate relevant action plans. TrashBlitz provides robust research protocols, a web-based platform that identifies problem products and brands, and a network to bring diverse stakeholders together to co-create solutions to stop plastic pollution at the source.