Vital Stats
Ania N
La Crescenta, CA- People Doing It0
The Problem
Marine debris destroys local habitat and kills marine life through entanglement and ingestion. Each year tons of trash pollutes Los Angeles County waterways and coastal ocean. Volunteer clean-up efforts raise awareness, but remove only a fraction of what litters our coastline. The extent of damage to deeper ocean habitats where trash settles and accumulates is often overlooked.
Plan of Action
Students at Clark Magnet High School will work with a community partner, the Los Angeles Waterkeeper (LAW), to survey and document marine debris off the southern California coastline. Students will operate a VideoRay Pro IV Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) equipped with a GPS-enabled Smart Tether to record coordinates and video of underwater debris. Students will map surveys in ArcGIS and create three dimensional mosaics of polluted areas. Students will create short informative videos to showcase their findings. Disseminating impactful videos, created with ROV underwater footage through online websites, social media teacher workshops and public meetings can all serve to increase awareness of marine debris impacts. This project will educate students, teachers, officials, and the public on marine debris impacts.