Bonneville Shoreline Trail Research Paper

It is also known as the Pacific trash vortex, that stretches from the west coast of North America to Japan, and the Eastern Garbage patch which stretches from U.S. states of California to Hawaii. The amount of debris in the GPGP accumulates because much of the debris is not biodegradable. Many plastics, for instance, do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces. Debris like these is detrimental to marine life and their ecosystems. The loggerhead sea turtle often makes the mistake of eating plastic bags mistaking them for jellyfish. Albatrosses mistakenly feed their chicks resin pellets because they resemble fish eggs, thus cause starvation or ruptured

The problem with plastic ending up in the ocean is that marine life is being harmed by the presence of it. A study done on the harbor seals in the Netherlands found that more than 12% had plastic in the digestive system (California Coastal Commission). The list of affected species indicates that marine debris is affecting a significant number of species. It affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species (Save our shores). The problem is underestimated because the marine life that ingests plastic or dies from entanglement often goes undiscovered due to the vastness of the ocean, as they either sink or are eaten by predators before they are discovered (Plastic Debris). The potential harm from ingestion of plastics is not restricted to seabirds. Plastic bags drifting on ocean currents resemble the prey of turtles. There is evidence that their survival is being hindered by plastic debris with young sea turtles being vulnerable (Ocean pollution). Over the past 20 years polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have polluted marine food webs at an increasing rate, and are prevalent in seabirds. Though their adverse effects may not always be apparent, PCBs lead to reproductive disorders, increase the risk of disease and alter hormone levels. These chemicals have a detrimental effect on marine organisms even at very low levels and plastic pellets could be a route for PCBs into marine food

We can find plastic bags, bottles, balloons, packaging materials, and even food wrappers that contribute to the debris. While large plastics are a major pollutant, over time these plastics break down into smaller and more toxic pieces. These small plastics more easily ingested and they also act as hosts for invasive species and carry them to other regions of the ocean more and more rapidly and increases the damages caused by plastics.¹ A new study found that more than 90 percent of 67 fulmars (a type of bird) had ingested plastics such as twine, Styrofoam, and candy wrappers. An average of 36.8 pieces of plastic was found per bird. On average, the fraction of a gram in each bird would equal to a human packing 10 quarters in his stomach, the scientists figure. According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, up to 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles die each year from eating

During this history class extra credit opportunity tour to River Bend State Park I fell like I learned a lot of very interesting information on not only American history, but also Seminole History. I also learned the methods that have been utilized in hopes of preserving the park in its natural state. It is well known that it will not be possible to get the park to be an exact replication of the way it was when the wars were taken place, because the park changed before and after those events, and we do not know the exact changes to make today. But nonetheless, the park is as close to as it was back then as it needs to be, and I thought that it was an amazing thing to be in such a well preserved meaningful location. I had no idea that the Seminoles were such a big factor in American history as well as the fact that they were the only Indian group to never surrender. The wars upon the Seminoles were not necessary, and America should not have taken everything from them, or killed so many of them. The Seminoles could have been a huge advantage towards America if we would have accepted them and learned their tracking skills, war tactics, and healthy living habits, rather than stealing from them and killing them.

In conclusion, it should have been learned that the issue of plastic pollution has become ruinous. The cost of repair and the inconvenience of lifestyle changes cannot compare to the frightful future this planet is headed. At current rates, hazards are not just inflicted on Earth's oceans but individual human health and the other creatures that rightly inhabit this land. With this concern

Most of the garbage, in the Pacific Garbage Patch, are different types of plastic. Unfortunately, unlike other materials, plastics take years to break down. Instead of biodegrading like organic materials, the plastics go through a process of photodegradation, which breaks the plastic into molecular size pieces. The sea life, unable to see the miniscule plastics, swallow them up. It has been shown that towards the top of the pyramid, humans are also consuming the plastics that the animals had once eaten.

Taking on a journey stretching well over 2,100 miles, covering fourteen states (from Maine to Georgia) by foot is no simple stroll where at the end of the day a comfortable bed and hot meal would await you. Instead, hiking the Appalachian Trail can be an endless battle with all the elements of mother nature: whereas in one state spring would have sprung already with wildflowers dressing the forest floors and insects buzzing through crisp air, on other parts of the trail it [the weather conditions] would be smothering heat, but meanwhile a few states north the rain would fall endlessly with gusts of cold wind, and snow would blanket the pathways of the trail and more than likely blizzards

There is no vanity on the AT (The Appalachian Trail) and more than some walk in the woods.  Seems like it would be just an adventure.  It started as a journey and a leap of faith to hike the entire Georgia section of the AT in less than 6 days.  Day 4 it became a transformation.  I saw less than 10 people hiking for 6 days and 90 miles.  I hiked till 7pm each day (one hour prior to sunset) and wherever the spirit led me, I set up my tent, ate my food, journaled, slept and got up at 6 am in order to be back on the trail as soon as I could see it.  Relentless steep climbs on all types of terrain and many painful descents that caused much knee pain.  Several nights totally alone in the wilderness.  Lots of praying and talking to God out loud.

Almost 96% of plastic bags are disposed of in landfills (Williamson, 2003). This leads up to another problem as plastic bags are non-biodegradable - in other words, plastic bags do not biodegrade for over a thousand years (Stevens 2001). Plastic bags may also land in farms and in oceans which have an impact on the wildlife. Livestock such as cows may eat plastic bags while grazing. These pose a threat if ingested as they may tangle in their stomachs, causing serious injuries and potentially death (Dreyer et al, 1999; Rasmussen 1999). Each year over a billion birds and mammals die due to the ingestion of plastic bags (Baker, 2002).

In the documentary “Inside the Garbage of the World”, the main social problem being explained is that there has been a great influx of plastic and other type of garbage in oceans and their beaches. This buildup of pollution has largely affected the wildlife population ranging from animals on the beaches to the creatures of the ocean. In oceans, what is called ‘garbage patches’, a large buildup of garbage that flow to one area in the oceans, are being created. Approximately 50 percent of all plastic sinks to the bottom of the ocean floor but about 2 times that much is actually already on the ocean floor. In fact, according to the documentary, there is a garbage patch that is to the left of California that is the size of half of the United States. Each year, about 4.7 million tons of plastic goes in the ocean a year and it is estimated that by 2050, there will be another 33 billion tons of plastic added to the present amount. Eighty percent of the current pollution comes from the land. According to marine researchers, twice as much plastic debris is one the ocean floor than it was 10 years ago. In the futures, plastic will break down into smaller pieces of plastic, creating a bigger problem from the habitat. This plastic pollution is one of the leading cause for beach and ocean inhabiting creatures be extinct because animals are mistaking these plastic pieces for food. When scientist began to dissect beach animals such as birds, they discovered that at least fifteen pounds of

Some trash on their way to collect into the gyres find their way onto islands in the middle of the ocean. The Midway Atoll is a major littering ground for this forgotten trash from, “a motorcycle helmet, a mannequin’s head, and an umbrella handle,” to “coffee lids, water bottles and bags,” that pollute this once beautiful island (CNN 3, 5). Another huge concern is about the animal life that plastic affects. The plastic breaks down into tiny shards that the fish and other animals eat, they get eaten by the predators, and the plastic gets transferred to the predator. One predator are the birds that live on the midway atoll. They found “thousands of birds’ bodies rotting … endless tiny shards of plastic…as if plastic was the bird’s diet,” (CNN 11, 13). People daily

In the heartbreaking video of ‘MIDWAY- Message from gyre’ it gives viewers an outlook of what happens when trash is put in places it has no business being in. The species of the birds that are called albatrosses are an unfortunate example of this. In the Midway, North pacific ocean, trash from the Pacific Garbage Patch ends up at these islands habituated by the birds. In this video pictures show detailed evidence of the effects of carelessness and solid waste can have on a species. This video is a short film, but expresses a big concern.

Plastic marine debris is detrimental to seabirds, causing harm and death. Entanglement in the plastic debris can cause seabirds to lose ability to fly properly. Without mobility, seabirds are not able to collect and hunt for food, causing starvation and death (Harmful marine debris, 2003). Furthermore, plastic debris may result in complications of infection, amputation and smothering (Harmful marine debris, 2003). Additionally, entanglement can make seabirds a target to predators,

Seabirds that feed on the ocean surface are especially prone to ingesting plastic debris that floats. Adults feed these items to their chicks resulting in detrimental effects on chick growth and survival.8 One study found that approximately 98% of chicks sampled contained plastic and the quantity of plastic being ingested was increasing over time.9

The main issue with plastic bags is not the bags themselves, but where they end up. “An estimated 300 million plastic bags end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone” (Wagner). Littering and human carelessness causes these bags to end up in places they should not be. Plastic bags only serve to cause harm as “any hunting mammal can easily mistake the size, shape and texture of the plastic bag for a meal and find its airway is cut off” (Wagner). For example, albatross, a type of bird found on Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean “have been found dead by rescue workers on Midway due to ingesting substantial amounts of plastic bag remnants” ("What's So Bad About Plastic Bags?"). The largest population of these birds could now be at risk, all due to plastic bags. Something must be done to control problem, before it is too late. Albatross are only one of many species affected by plastic bags. “Dolphins, seals, sharks, flamingos, seagulls, pelicans, and other animals and birds have been found dead in large numbers due to plastic bags” ("What's So Bad About Plastic Bags?"). Plastic bags are not just harmful to one species, they are harmful to a variety of animals. “As one species begins to die off at an abnormal rate, every other living organism in the waterway is impacted” (Wagner). The hazards created by plastic bags trigger a chain reaction that could destroy an entire ecosystem. The rate at which animals are dying off due to plastic bag consumption is concerning. One such species that is in