Name: Masami Umehara

Social Justice Group: Environmental Rights: Water pollution (C)

Date of Fieldwork: February 6, 2025

Name of Organization and person (people) with whom you met and their title(s):New York Aquarium, Brooklyn

What I did and what I learned about my topic, activism, social justice work or civil and human rights work from this fieldwork:

On February 6, 2025, we visited the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn with Eliza and the Microplastics group(Xander, Hannah, Fox, Audrey, Taiyo).
We learned about how oysters can help the ocean. Oysters filter water and make it clear, and the clear water helps plants grow, which provides habitats for marine animals. Oysters have disappeared from New York because of pollution, dredging, and overharvesting. An organization called the Billion Oyster Project is helping restore oysters in New York Harbor.
We also learned about everyday items that can pollute our ocean and things we can use instead. Normal soap is better than antibacterial soap, because of the chemicals inside it. The chemicals will go down the drain, and into the ocean, and the chemicals can kill marine life. Regular soap works just as well to clean yourself. Powdered detergent is better than liquid detergent because it’s lighter and inside biodegradable boxes. On the other hand, liquid detergent is heavier to ship and comes in plastic bottles. We also learned that a single oil-change’s worth of motor oil dumped in the drain or gutter can pollute and ruin a million gallons of fresh water. Instead, you can go to their local auto parts store, and recycle old oil for free. When you flush old medicines down the drain, they would end up in rivers and oceans, which would damage marine life. Instead, you can return them to the pharmacy.