While plastics have been in use for many decades, plastic pollution has become a pressing contemporary issue. Half of all plastics ever manufactured were produced in the last 15 years. This pollution is one of the most urgent environmental problems we face today, contributing to the acceleration of global warming and resulting in more severe and frequent floods, forest fires, and other disasters. Furthermore, plastic pollution has a direct and negative impact on both marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Source: SeaSmartSchool.com. Photo: albatrossthefilm.com.

Plastic is everywhere and lots of it ends up in the ocean. Most plastics in the ocean break up into very small particles (5mm or under) called "microplastics." Other plastics that are intentionally designed to be small are called microbeads and are used in many health and beauty products. They pass unchanged through waterways into the ocean. Aquatic life can mistake microplastics for food. In 2015, the U.S. banned the use of microbeads but microplastics are still a huge problem! You can help keep plastic out of the ocean. Remember: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” 

Source: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html

• Marine life: Microplastics can be toxic to marine life, causing oxidative damage, abnormal behavior, and delayed growth. They can also reduce food intake and affect fish's ability to survive and reproduce. 

• Food chain: Microplastics can act as carriers of other pollutants in the food chain. They can also be ingested by smaller organisms, which are then eaten by larger predators, eventually ending up in seafood. 

• Plankton communities: Microplastics can alter plankton communities, exacerbating deoxygenation and starving marine organisms of oxygen. 

• Marine sediments: Microplastics can disrupt nitrogen cycling and alter microbial communities. 

• Beach sand: Microplastics can blend with beach sand and appear as grains of sand or tiny pebbles. 

• Marine snow: Microplastics can be funneled to the deep along with marine snow, eventually settling on the seafloor. 

What’s the problem with microplastics and microfibers? Well, microplastics are extremely easy to form, and they wander everywhere. From water to the air we breathe, microplastics are unavoidable. These pesky things are in our bodies, and scientists have made discoveries that these plastics increase the risk of heart disease. And this is alarming, since plastic is very useful in our time. It wouldn’t make any sense if these plastics have not had impacts on society. The solution would be to remove the microplastics in our oceans to save the environment and improve our drinking water. By improving our water we can avoid health issues such as heart disease.

Source: Springer.com 

An estuary is where freshwater rivers meet the salty open sea. Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal communities adapted to brackish water. Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems in the world. Many animals, especially ocean animals, rely on estuaries for food, breeding places, and migration stopovers.

The Hudson Estuary is important because it provides a diverse and vital ecosystem for a wide range of aquatic life. It serves as a critical nursery ground for commercially and recreationally important fish species like striped bass and bluefish. While also offering a unique habitat transition zone between freshwater and saltwater, it is ecologically and economically valuable to the Atlantic Coast region.

Some team members deployed eel mops using different fibers, coconut, jute, and polypropylene attached to a ceramic tile and two oyster cages in the Hudson Estuary. They studied them for nine months, from February to October 2024. We registered the specimens we found and observed the conditions of the materials used for the mops and the impacts that these materials may have on the specimens. We registered water quality, weather, and river conditions during the experiment. Our eel mops and oyster cages supported life. Although eco-friendly eel mops have shorter life spans, the coconut mop proved suitable for monitoring glass eels while being a safe environment for species without polluting the estuary. In our two last data collections, we finally found Eastern oysters and ribbed mussels that naturally grow in the oyster cages.

Beach cleanups are essential for many reasons, including:

• Protecting marine life: Debris in the ocean can harm or kill marine creatures by getting caught in it or being ingested. 

• Preventing pollution: Litter on the beach can quickly end up in the ocean, contaminating the water and harming marine life and humans. 

• Maintaining coastal ecosystems: Removing trash helps maintain the balance of coastal ecosystems, which are vital to the survival of many species. 

• Promoting environmental awareness: Beach cleanups can help raise awareness of marine litter issues. 

• Getting exercise: Beach cleanups can be a fun way to get some exercise. 

• Learning: Beach cleanups can be a great way for kids to learn about marine debris issues and how to help protect the aquatic environment. 

The team members explore how to present themselves and their experience in the Lego league by drawing, and members come together to deliver our Lego SUBMERGED season logo.

With the generous support of our sponsor, the BotCats donate a Lego Spike Prime kit or expandable set to the HCS robotics club every year. We aim to provide the younger grades with all the tools they need to practice and develop a passion for coding, just as we have.