Algalita Marine Research And Education

TO PROTECT THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND ITS WATERSHEDS THROUGH RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND RESTORATION. THE ORGANIZATION'S MAIN FOCUS IS ON THE ISSUE OF PLASTIC POLLUTION AND ITS EFFECT ON THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM AND POTENTIAL RISKS TO HUMAN HEALTH THROUGH THE TRANSFER OF TOXINS FROM INGESTED PLASTIC DEBRIS BY FISH AND THROUGH THE FOOD CHAIN. THE ORGANIZATION'S GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPACT OF PLASTICS ON OUR MARINE ENVIORNMENT BY EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE ECOLOGICAL VALUE AND VULNERABILITIES OF OUR OCEANS AND HOW INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS INFLUENCE THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM AND HUMAN HEALTH.

EDUCATION: IN 2023, WE LAUNCHED A FREE PROGRAM THAT EMPOWERS EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE TO BECOME ALLIES WITHIN THE MOVEMENT TO END PLASTIC POLLUTION. WAYFINDER SOCIETY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IS AN OPEN-SOURCE ONLINE PLATFORM WE USE TO EQUIPS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WITH EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO EXPLORE THE DEEPEST DEPTHS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION THIS PROGRAM IS MUCH MORE THAN A SIMPLE WEBSITE. IT'S A FULL ECOSYSTEM OF SERVICES THAT PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AND EFFECTIVE STRATEGIC, FINANCIAL, AND INSPIRATIONAL SUPPORT FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO DEPLOY REAL-TIME AND REAL-WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN ANY SETTING.THE PLATFORM IS COMPLETELY FREE TO ACCESS, NO LOGIN REQUIRED, AND ALL RESOURCES CAN BE EASILY DOWNLOADED AND ADAPTED VIA GOOGLE WORKSPACE (WHICH EDUCATORS LOVE!). THE PROGRAM ALSO INCLUDES A STUDENT HUB, THAT INCLUDES A GROWING COLLECTION OF OVER 40 ACTIONS, WHERE STUDENTS EARN SERVICE-LEARNING HOURS BY TAKING ACTION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, OR EVEN INTERNATIONALLY! THE ACTIONS ARE OFTEN CO-CREATED WITH OUR MOVEMENT PARTNERS, AND MANY LESSONS HAVE BEEN CO-CREATED WITH REAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS TO ENSURE ALL CONTENT IS RELEVANT, INCLUSIVE, AND AUTHENTIC.SINCE THE STUDENT HUB LAUNCHED IN AUGUST 2023, 1,904 STUDENTS FROM 117 COUNTRIES HAVE EARNED OVER 4,022 SERVICE-LEARNING HOURS BY TAKING ACTION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES! ACTIONS ARE TRACKED THROUGH OUR BACKEND SYSTEM WHERE OUR TEAM MANUALLY ACCEPTS OR DECLINES STUDENT SUBMISSIONS. THIS PROCESS ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE DIRECT FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT TO YOUTH ACROSS THE GLOBE.OUR IMPACT ON EDUCATORS DURING THIS GRANT PERIOD WAS EQUALLY INSPIRING! IN 2023, WE HOSTED 13 EVENTS INCLUDING: UPLIFTING POLICY UPDATES TO INSPIRE YOUR STUDENTS, THE STORY OF PLASTIC CLASSROOM GUIDE WALKTHROUGH, NAVIGATING ECO-ANXIETY IN THE CLASSROOM, MEET AND GREET WITH CAPTAIN MOORE, AND MORE! ALL EVENTS ARE RECORDED AND CAN BE VIEWED ON OUR EVENTS PAGE. DURING THIS YEAR, WE AWARDED 8 EDUCATOR MINI-GRANTS, AND CELEBRATED THEIR STORIES WITH SPOTLIGHT POSTS THAT CAN BE FOUND IN THE COMMUNITY NEWS SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE. OVER 81 EDUCATORS WERE NOMINATED FOR THE AWARD DURING THIS GRANT PERIOD. OUR TEAM DISTRIBUTED 250 FREE TOOLKITS TO EDUCATORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHICH HAVE INDIRECTLY REACHED 30,000 STUDENTS. ALSO, WE CREATED TWO NEW TOOLKITS, THE FIRST BEING A TRAVELING CLASSROOM SET OF OUR KEYSTONE BOOK, PLASTIC OCEAN, WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS RESOURCES AND THE SECOND IS CALLED THE PLASTIC OCEAN EXPERIENCE GUIDE, WHICH WAS CO-CREATED WITH SEVERAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATORS. YOU CAN VIEW THEIR COLLECTIVE SPOTLIGHT ON THE COMMUNITY NEWS SECTION AS WELL. WE ALSO DEVELOPED THREE NEW STANDARDS ALIGNMENT GUIDES THAT HELP EDUCATORS KNOW HOW TO INCORPORATE OUR MATERIALS INTO THEIR STANDARDS-ALIGNED CURRICULUM AND ATTENDED SIX ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATOR CONFERENCES WHERE WFS WAS SHARED WITH APPROXIMATELY 1,500 TEACHERS.ALSO IN 2023, ALGALITA EMBARKED ON AN AMBITIOUS ENDEAVOR TO DEVELOP A BRAND-NEW RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER IN LONG BEACH, CA. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SISTER ORGANIZATION, MOORE INSTITUTE FOR PLASTIC POLLUTION RESEARCH, WE SECURED AN IDEAL LOCATION RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO OUR ZERO WASTE REFILL SHOP BYO AT ALGALITA. IN JUNE 2023, WE FINISHED THE RENOVATIONS OF A STATE-OF-THE-ART MICROPLASTICS LAB, A TEACHER TRAINING CENTER AND CLASSROOM, A TECHNOLOGY LAB, AND WORKSPACES TO SUPPORT VISITING SCIENTISTS.NAMED AFTER CHARLIE, THE MOORE PLASTIC POLLUTION RESEARCH AND LEARNING CENTER NOW ALLOWS ALGALITA TO OFFER TEACHER WORKSHOPS, CLASSROOM FIELD TRIPS, CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, AND A UNIQUE MICROPLASTICS LAB EXPERIENCE FOR EDUCATORS AND THEIR STUDENTS. FIELD TRIPS WILL BEGIN IN 2024, AND WE WILL FOCUS OUTREACH TO TITLE 1 SCHOOLS ACROSS LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY A REGION KNOWN FOR ITS DIVERSE POPULATION. PROGRAMMING WILL INCLUDE TEACHER TRAININGS, CLASSROOM FIELD TRIPS WHERE STUDENTS CONDUCT REAL CITIZEN SCIENCE, AND A SUITE OF FIELD RESEARCH ACTIVITIES WHERE EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS GET TO ENJOY NATURE WHILE LEARNING HOW TO PROTECT IT.

PREVENTION: IN 2023, WE JOINED THE LB REUSES COALITION TO HELP REDUCE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC AND ACTIVATE REUSE INITIATIVES IN LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA. COVERING ALL CORNERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THE COALITION QUICKLY GOT TO WORK IN ENVISIONING A CITY-WIDE ACTIVATION THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER DOZENS OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ENCOURAGED LONG TERM USE OF REUSABLES CUPS, BAGS, AND OTHER CONTAINERS IN ORDER TO REDUCE POLLUTION AND WASTE CAUSED BY SINGLE-USE PLASTICS. THUS, THE FIRST ANNUAL BYO WEEK IN LONG BEACH WAS BORN! ALIGNING WITH THE EFFORTS OF ZERO WASTE OCTOBER, THE COALITION DEDICATED AN ENTIRE WEEK (SEPTEMBER 29 OCTOBER 7) TO PROMOTING REUSE AND BYO ACROSS OUR BELOVED CITY OF LONG BEACH. ALL WEEK LONG, COMMUNITY MEMBERS BROUGHT THEIR REUSE CONTAINERS TO PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES AND ATTENDED REUSE CENTERED EVENTS FOR STAMPS TOWARD EPIC PRIZES. THE FIRST ANNUAL BYO WEEK WAS INSPIRING TO SEE SO MANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES EXCITED TO CHAMPION REUSE WITH US. WE LEARNED THAT ONE WEEK WAS TOO SHORT OF A DURATION FOR MANY, SO WE PLAN ON EXTENDING THE EVENT TO THE ENTIRE MONTH OF OCTOBER IN 2024. SO, BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR UPDATES AS WE GET CLOSER! IN THE MEANTIME, RESIDENTS CAN SUPPORT REUSE BY PARTICIPATING IN OUR STICKER INITIATIVE. WHEN A PARTICIPATING BUSINESS HAS THE LB REUSES STICKER IN THEIR WINDOW, CUSTOMERS KNOW THAT THEY CAN OPT TO BRING THEIR REUSABLE CONTAINERS RATHER THAN TAKING A SINGLE-USE PLASTIC OPTION. WE NOW HAVE OVER 50 PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES AND THE LIST CONTINUES TO GROW! ALSO THIS YEAR, OUR ZERO WASTE REFILL STORE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BYO LONG BEACH REACHED OVER 2,000 COMMUNITY REFILLS AND OVER 900 REUSABLES ITEMS WERE SOLD!

RESEARCH: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SISTER ORGANIZATION, MOORE INSTITUTE FOR PLASTIC POLLUTION RESEARCH, WE CONTINUED ANALYSIS OF OUR NORTH PACIFIC GYRE LONG-TERM MONITORING SAMPLES. WE ANTICIPATE THE FINAL PUBLICATION TO BE FINISHED IN 2024 OR 2025.