TEACHER ANSWER KEY
MARINE DEBRIS SURVEY
Directions:
This survey is both a pre- and post- survey. Put a check mark at the top of this paper next to the survey you are doing
(pre- or post- survey). Please answer each question to the best of your ability. Circle the most correct answer.
1. Marine debris
.
a. is solid material
b. includes items that were deliberately disposed of in a lake, ocean or waterway
c. is persistent
d. all of the above
2. The following things were found on a beach. Which one is most likely to be marine debris?
a. bird feather
b. log
c. bottle
d. man-o-war jellyfish
3. Plastic is
.
a. found naturally in the environment
b. biodegradable
c. found throughout the water column, from the surface to the ocean floor
d. not transported by ocean currents
4. The amount of marine debris in the world's oceans is
a. increasing
b. decreasing
c. remaining constant
d. so small that it doesn't really matter
.
5. Which of the following takes the longest time to decompose (break down) in the ocean?
a. aluminum can
b. fishing line
c. disposable diaper
d. waxed milk carton
6. List two ways in which marine debris can harm wildlife.
Answers will vary but should include two of the following six points. Wildlife can ingest marine debris and 1.
become ill from absorbing toxins associated with the plastic; 2. become physically injured due to tissue
damage; 3. become malnourished; or 4. die from starvation. 5. Wildlife can get entangled (e.g., in fishing line)
or trapped (e.g., in a ghost net) within marine debris. 6. Wildlife can be subject to competition for resources
with non-native species that were transported by marine debris.
7. Explain how surface ocean currents are produced.
Differential heating of the earth’s surface by the sun results in air circulation cells that generate winds. The
force of wind on the surface of the ocean, coupled with the Coriolis force, produces surface ocean currents.
8. What is an albatross bolus?
A bolus is a compacted mass of indigestible material that is thrown up by an albatross (a large seabird).
9. Identify two solutions to prevent or clean up marine debris.
Answers will vary but may include beach clean-ups, reduction of consumption, and storm-drain waste
catchment.
TEACHER ANSWER KEY
STUDENT WORKSHEET – STATIONS 1 AND 4: ENTANGLEMENT ACTIVITY
Lesson 1: Biological Impacts
PICTURE
NO.
NAME OF ANIMAL
MARINE DEBRIS
1
Whale
Rope
2
Otter
Net
3
Bird – Albatross
Clothes hanger
4
Bony fish
Six-pack ring
5
Coral
Plastic bag
6
Manatee
Rope
7
Bird – Guillemot
Balloon ribbon
8
Lobster
Net
9
Green turtle
Net
10
Seal
Rope
11
Loggerhead turtle
Fishing line
12
Shark
Net
TEACHER ANSWER KEY
STUDENT WORKSHEET – ENVIRONMENTAL FORENSICS
Lesson 2: Geographical Distribution
NOTE: Debris show here is an example only as the debris supplied in each kit is unique. If you are putting together
your own kit simply find “debris” with languages that match the examples here and use the collection location, date
and time in the ocean as clues for your students.
Driving questions: From which river did the marine debris originate and which current(s) transported it?
Note: Trajectory distances were estimated by measuring two or more segments of the track using
http://www.movable-type.co.uk/scripts/latlong.html. These are very coarse estimates and should be considered to
be a minimum distance traveled by the object.
Item description: White plastic shard
Collection location: 12o N 135o W
Collection date: Jan 1, 2006
Estimated time spent in the ocean: 1 year
Language/country: Spanish/Mexico
Possible river(s): Rio Balsas, Rio Grande de Santiago
Hypothesis: Answers will vary
Estimated release date: Jan 1, 2005
Final coordinates from OSCURS model: 12o N 135o W
River of origin: Rio Grande de Santiago, Mexico (21.5o N 105.3o W)
Relevant currents: California Current, North Equatorial Current
How well do these currents compare with the one(s) you listed in your
hypothesis? Do they support your hypothesis?: Answers will vary
Trajectory distance: ~3500 km (sum of 2 segments)
Daily current speed: ~9.6 km/day (= 3500 km/365 days)
Unmodified track for plastic shard from Mexico:
Item description: Candy wrapper
Collection location: 48.6o N 125.6o W; off the west coast of
Vancouver Island, BC
Collection date: March 15, 2006
Estimated time spent in the ocean: 30 months, or 2.5 years
Language/country: Russian/Russia
Possible river(s): Amur River, Anadyr River, Uda River
Hypothesis: Answers will vary
Estimated release date: Sept 15, 2003
Final coordinates from OSCURS model: 48.6o N 125.6o W
River of origin: Amur River, Russia (52.9o N 141.2o E)
Relevant currents: Oyashio Current, North Pacific Current
How well do these currents compare with the one(s) you listed in
your hypothesis? Do they support your hypothesis?: Answers will vary
Trajectory distance: ~8600 km (sum of 2 segments)
Daily current speed: ~9.4 km/day (= 8600 km/912 days)
Unmodified track for candy wrapper from Russia:
Item description: Glue stick
Collection location: 20.5o N 112o W; off the southwest coast of Baja California
Collection date: August 15, 2006
Estimated time spent in the ocean: 3.5 years
Language/country: Korean/North or South Korea
Possible river(s): Tumen River, Hyeongsan River, Nakdong River
Hypothesis: Answers will vary
Estimated release date: Feb 15, 2003
Final coordinates from OSCURS model: 20.5o N 112o W
River of origin: Hyeongsan River, South Korea (36.0o N 129.4o E)
Relevant currents: Kuroshio Current, North Pacific Current, California Current
How well do these currents compare with the one(s) you listed in your hypothesis?
Do they support your hypothesis?: Answers will vary
Trajectory distance: ~11600 km (sum of 4 segments)
Daily current speed: ~9.1 km/day (= 11600 km/1277 days)
Unmodified track for glue stick from South Korea:
Item description: Yellow bottle cap
Collection location: 18.0o N 154.7o W, 85 miles off the southern coast of the Island of Hawai‘i
Collection date: February 14, 2002 (Valentine’s Day 2002)
Estimated time spent in the ocean: 19 months
Language/country: English/Canada or United States
Possible river(s): Fraser River, Columbia River, Sacramento River, Yukon
River
Hypothesis: Answers will vary
Estimated release date: July 14, 2000
Final coordinates from OSCURS model: 18.0o N 154.7o W
River of origin: Fraser River, B.C. Canada (49.1o N 123.2o W)
Relevant current(s): California Current, North Equatorial Current
How well do these currents compare with the one(s) you listed in your
hypothesis? Do they support your hypothesis?: Answers will vary
Trajectory distance: ~6900 km (sum of 3 segments)
Daily current speed: ~11.9 km/day (= 6900km/580 days)
Unmodified track for yellow bottle cap from Canada:
Item description: Black calligraphy ink bottle
Collection location: 25.4o N 149.5o E
Collection date: July 4, 1998 (U.S. Independence Day 1998)
Estimated time spent in the ocean: 5 years
Language/country: Japanese/Japan
Possible river(s): Shinano River, Tone River
Hypothesis: Answers will vary
Estimated release date: July 4, 1993
Final coordinates from OSCURS model: 25.4o N 149.5o E
River of origin: Tone River (35.8o N 140.9o E)
Relevant currents: Kuroshio Current, North Pacific Current, California Current, North
Equatorial Current
How well do these currents compare with the one(s) you listed in your hypothesis? Do
they support your hypothesis?: Answers will vary
Trajectory distance: ~18600 km (sum of 5 segments)
Daily current speed: ~10.2 km/day (= 18600km/1826 days)
Unmodified track for black calligraphy ink bottle from Japan:
Item description: Rubber ball
Collection location: 35o N 123.5o E; off the west coast of South Korea
Collection date: October 31, 2008 (Halloween 2008)
Estimated time spent in the ocean: 3.5 years
Language/country: English/ Canada or United States
Possible river(s): Fraser River, Columbia River, Sacramento River, Yukon River
Hypothesis: Answers will vary
Estimated release date: April 30, 2005
Final coordinates from OSCURS model: 35o N 123.5o E
River of origin: Sacramento River, California, U.S. (38.1o N 122.3o W)
Relevant currents: California Current, North Equatorial Current, Kuroshio
Current
How well do these currents compare with the one(s) you listed in your
hypothesis? Do they support your hypothesis?: Answers will vary
Trajectory distance: ~15300 km (sum of 4 segments)
Daily current speed: ~ 12.0 km/day (=15300km/1280 days)
Unmodified track for rubber ball from United States:
Additional Questions:
1. How could you improve your estimates of the distances traveled by the debris?
You could divide the track into numerous segments and then calculate the distances between those
segments. The more divisions you make, the better the estimated distance traveled. You could also magnify
portions of the track to observe finer scale movements of the debris, and then estimate the distances of the
higher resolution segments.
2. How would better estimates of distance affect your estimates of current speed? Explain why.
Debris travels in curved paths (not along straight lines). Measuring straight line segments underestimates the
actual distance traveled by the debris. A better estimate of distance (as described in the answer to question 1
above) would likely show an increase in distance. Since speed = distance/time, an increased distance
(numerator) would result in an increased speed. The denominator, time, wouldn't be affected. Thus, a
better estimate of distance would be expected to increase my estimate of current speed.
3. The color scale on the right-hand side of the ocean currents map (Fig. 4) indicates current speed in meters per
second. How do your estimates of current speed compare with those indicated on the map? (Hint: Make sure
values have the same units)
Answers will vary. 1 m/s = 86.4 km/day
1 m x 1 km x 60 sec x 60 min x 24 hrs = 86.4 km
sec
1000 m
min
hr
day
day
4. What might cause a current’s speed or direction to change?
Changes in wind speed lead to shifts in ocean current speed; the stronger the wind, the faster the current
flows. Similarly, changes in wind direction affect the direction of the current. Wind speed and direction can
vary seasonally, with storms, etc.