Resources
You can use the resources below to start your research. You can use any or all of these resources to inform your work. We encourage you to find resources on your own, too. In particular, try to find research about plastic pollution or marine debris in your local community or region.
Policy Memo
A policy memo is a written document that provides analysis and recommendations for a particular audience regarding a situation or problem. A policy memo reflects attention to purpose, is well organized, and has a clear and concise style.
Action Plan
An action plan is a document that lists what steps must be taken to achieve a specific goal. The purpose of an action plan is to clarify what resources are required to reach the goal, formulate a timeline for when specific tasks need to be completed, and determine what resources are required.
Encyclopedia Articles
Watershed
Pollution
Marine Debris
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Websites
The Journey of Plastic Around the Globe
Map Your Watershed – USGS
Nat Geo Planet or Plastic? Page
Our World in Data – Plastic Pollution
Articles
We Depend on Plastic. Now We’re Drowning in It.
You Can Help turn the Tide on Plastic. Here’s How.
We Know Plastic is Harming Marine Life. What About Us?
For Animals, Plastic is Turning the Ocean into a Minefield
Straw Wars: The Fight to Rid the Oceans of Discarded Plastics
Plastic proliferates at the bottom of the world’s deepest ocean trench
This Mysterious Deep-Sea Jellyfish Looks Like a Plastic Bag
How India’s Fishermen Turn Plastic into Roads
Ocean Life Eats Tons of Plastic—Here’s Why That Matters
Ocean Trash: 5.25 Trillion Pieces and Counting, but Big Questions Remain
What Happens to the Plastic We Throw Out?
Walking the Watershed
Blog Posts
The Hills are Alive, With Signs of Plastic
What Happens to the Plastic We Throw Away?
10 Ways to Beat Plastic Pollution
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Plastic (and Recycling)
Videos
A Brief History of How Plastic Has Changed Our World
Plastics 101
How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean
Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic
This Community in the Philippines Converts Plastic Fishing Nets to Carpet
Sea Turtle Rescued From Abandoned ‘Ghost Net’ Snare
Why These Tiny Ocean Creatures Are Eating Plastic
See the Brooklyn Bridge Model Made From 25,000 Plastic Bottles
Kids Take Action Against Ocean Plastic (short film showcase)