Kaptur, Marine Experts Launch High School Marine Debris Challenge
Competition Opens for All High School Students in Ohio’s 9th Congressional District
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-9) is announcing the launch of the first annual Marine Debris Challenge for high school students in Ohio’s Ninth Congressional District. This competition encourages students to develop first-hand experience with marine debris and use that experience to raise awareness in the community. Ohio’s Ninth District is the first in the nation to host this initiative.
“Marine debris is a real and growing challenge here in Northern Ohio,” said Rep. Kaptur. “Public education is the first and most important step to address this emerging threat, and our students can be a great resource in this effort. That is why we created this brand new competition. Our hope is that it will motivate high school students across Northern Ohio to become teachers and leaders themselves, sharing knowledge, experience, and understanding in ways that help their communities become more responsible stewards of the precious freshwater resources and ecosystems we all depend on for our lives and livelihoods.”
Nancy Wallace, NOAA Marine Debris Program Director, added, "The Great Lakes are an important part of our environment and not immune to the effects of marine debris. We are looking forward to working with our partners on this PSA contest to inspire young adults in Ohio to create their own prevention messaging and to be part of the global solution to marine debris."
Dr. Kristin Stanford, Education and Outreach Manager at OSU Stone Laboratory, said, “ The topic of marine debris has been a major component in the outreach and education efforts for Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Lab this past year and we are very excited to be able to help co-sponsor this contest raising awareness on this important Lake Erie issue.”
In 2011, Alliance for the Great Lakes gathered nearly 600 litter monitoring forms to track the marine debris in the region. Initial results showed 48 percent of land-based debris comes from food-related items such as food or beverage wrappers/containers, bags, plastic utensils, etc. The second largest category was smoking-related items including cigarette filters, lighters, cigar tips, and tobacco product packaging. NOAA recently awarded funding to the City of Cleveland specifically to respond to the three most common local sources of marine debris: plastic grocery bags, water bottles, and cigar tips.
All students in grades 9 - 12who are enrolled in recognized public, private, and home schools in Ohio Congressional District 9 are eligible to participate. Students must work in groups of 3 to 30. The competition is administered through a partnership between Congresswoman Kaptur, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ohio Sea Grant College Program, and The Ohio State University Stone Laboratory. To learn more about the competition, including how to enter, visit https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/outreach/communicating-clean-future-ohio-congressional-district-9-marine-debris-challenge.
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