On Febuary 6th 2025, the Microplastics group and the Ocean Pollution group went to the NYC Aquarium to learn more about marine life and plastic pollution. We wanted to get more knowledge on marine life from experts, and how these animals live.
The first place we went was the conservation hall, where we strolled through in order to get to the other exhibits. There were different parts of the exhibit, where they showed different fish from different regions, the most interesting one for me was the ginormous fish from Brazil, it was called Flooded Forest.
The shark exhibit was definitely my favorite. You first enter to marine life and sharks swimming all around you, it was such a fun experience, below they showed you a description of all of the different fish that live in the shark tunnel. The most beautiful part of the exhibit was a dark area, where there were so many sharks and different types of fish. The glass was so clear that it didnt even look like it was there. The water looked super blue and it was so great to look at.
Although the aquarium wasnt just about fish, they also educated us on plastic pollution. Walking through the shark exhibit, there is a part where there was plastic everywhere. This room taught us about which items contain plastics in them, like detergent, teabags, clothing, and much more. There were activities where you can step on plastics to get rid of them, and another one that was similar, where you push a button when you see specific items in the water, like fishing lines and plastic water bottles. The aquarium also taught us about climate change in NYC. New York Cities’ seas are rising, and it can ruin our City. Aswell as there is much more precipitation in New York, it has been increasing and there are heavier downfalls. The NYC aquarium taught us a bunch of things that are important for our Citizen Action Project and for our knowledge on NYC in danger. Before we left, we visited the Sea lions, penguins, and otters. They were so cute, and in the description, there was a part where they told us what we can do to help save the otters. In order to save the otters, we have to cut down on oil consumption, and use public transportation more and to stop emitting C02. This isint just about otters though, so many animals are in danger because of how much our climate is changing. Some animals, like polar bears rely on cold weather, and icy conditions, but our earth is getting hotter, and changing their homes. We have to act in order to save all of these animals.
The NYC aquarium was very interesting, and it was a very fun field trip. I feel like I learned a lot more than I thought I wouldve. Although it was a very far trip, it was definitely worth the trip.

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On January 27th, my group and I decided to take action and clean up the pier. We gathered early in the morning with gloves and trash bags, ready to make a positive impact on our environment.

Walking along the pier, we encountered various types of litter, including plastic wrappers, cardboard, and even pages from books. Despite the amount of trash, it felt rewarding to know that each piece we picked up was one less item polluting our ocean. We also noticed a significant amount of trash and plastic in the river, which was shocking to see, as it affected the homes of many animals, including ducks, fish, geese, and more.

By the end of the day, we had filled an entire bag with trash, leaving the pier cleaner and more inviting. The experience was not only enjoyable but also served as a powerful reminder of the importance of keeping our environment clean, as we are not the only ones living here. It illustrated that even small actions can lead to positive changes and highlighted the importance of getting involved in small ways to help our health and the environment.

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On January 10th my group and I visited Washington Square Park to see how many people knew about composting. We talked to 16 people: 10 knew about composting and 6 did not. Those who knew about composting shared some cool facts. One person compared it to growing herbs, while another mentioned that Boston has a great composting system. We also learned that Seattle has a good composting system, and some cities even turn waste into bio.

However, some people said that their city makes it hard to compost because of a lack of support and infrastructure. Overall, this experience showed us that while some places are doing well with composting, there’s still a lot of work to be done to make it easier for everyone. This highlights the need for better systems and more awareness to support composting efforts and make it accessible to all.

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On January, 29th, our team decided to interview marine biologist David Jones, CEO of Just One Ocean. He first introduced himself and how he went to University in nuclear physics, afterwards he served 17 years in the military as a diver. After serving 17 years around 2013, he went to Korea and listened to a few talks about Ocean pollution and was inspired to make his own organization, Just One Ocean.

After we learned a bit about him, we asked a few questions starting off with how marine life affects the ocean and marine life and he told us about some types of plastics such as nano-plastics, entanglement plastics, and ingestion plastics. Than he told us about how fatty tissue is very suitable for plastics and he told us about how hydrophobic chemicals rise up to the ocean and 70% of plastics float up the to ocean surface and so the hydrophobic chemicals get onto the plastics like it’s a life boat and the plastics enter the fatty tissue of marine animals and the bigger the marine animal, the more toxins it has.

We then talked about what is most affected by microplastics, David then stated that everything is affected by microplastics differently. Then we talked about how microplastics affect the human body. He than said that as of now, it is unknown what the side effects of microplastics are as they haven’t been around for long enough to know for sure. However, he than said how the effects are guaranteed to not be beneficial but how it is incredibly important for people to research about that topic.

Than finally we talked about what was the worst outcome and he said how plastics isn’t even the worst habitat destruction thing in the ocean. Also how a lot of people rely on marine animals as their main source of food and if it keeps going the way it is it could be a disaster. He then stated how people don’t know how much the ocean can withstand and how we can’t filter the ocean so we should keep it in the best condition we can. Then he stated that in the last 10 years, we have produced more than we have for the past 100 years and how microplastics are apart of the ocean and now all we can do is migrate elsewhere.

We then closed out the interview by asking if there was anything else that we should know and he stated about fast fashion and how a majority of clothes made in the fast fashion industry are made out of plastics and how fast fashion are one of if not the biggest micro plastic emitters.

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On January 27th 2025, we planned on going to the Rockaways, Queens to do a beach cleanup. But since we are in the middle of January, and how far of a drive it was, we decided that the pier on the Hudson River was a better option for us. Xander’s dad drove us to the pier, so we could pick up pieces of trash, so hopefully they won’t end up in the ocean. Even though it was cold, it was fun to walk around the pier doing something good for the world.

One of the interesting things we found while walking on the pier was geese eating trash that ended up in the river. This is a big problem because all animals are being affected by these plastics ending up in multiple bodies of water. There are multiple photos of fish, or ducks insides, and seeing so many plastic pieces inside of the animal. Its so hard to see that if we are just throwing trash on the ground, it can be hurting so many animals, including us. We walked around the pier for a while, and we picked up 107 pieces of trash, but there are so many more pieces of trash laying on the floor everywhere. We found multiple trash cans on our walk. I don’t understand why you cant just throw your trash into a trashcan. It isint that much extra work. NYC is trying to solve this problem by saying if they catch you littering, they will fine you $250, but I don’t see it fixing such a big problem, as so many more people are doing it.

I hope that people figure out that they are eating microplastic everyday. They should know that they are wearing microplastics aswell. Plastic is all aground us. If you dont dispose your trash well enough, it will eventually get inside of you. Everyone should be very cautious, and take the extra step to throw your trash in a trash can, instead of throwing it on the ground.

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On January 29th, 2025 we went on a Zoom with David Jones, who is in charge of an organization called Just One Ocean, where they focus on marine biology, and how plastics can affect ourselves and our planet. David spent 17 years in the military to pay off his university debt, where he studied nuclear physics. In the military, he had a side job where he was the head of the diving team, which got him interested in diving in the ocean, which lead him to getting interested in plastics and ocean life. In 2013, he went to Korea and listened to other presentations and decided to make his own organization called Just One Ocean. David made a film called Plastic Ocean, that is shown on Netflix.

David gave us lots of information, he taught us about measo-plastics which are microplastics that are distributed and transported in marine environments through ocean currents, wind and wave action, and biological processes. Another term that David told us about is Bioaccumulation (Food chain) which are toxins becoming higher and higher and higher the bigger the animal. Toxins magnify abnormally based on size. Bioaccumulation is harmful for the environment because it allows toxic substances like heavy metals and pesticides to build up in organisms within a food chain. These are all new terms to us, that are very useful. He had a lot of knowledge about plastic in the ocean, and he even said that plastic isn’t the worst habitat-destruction.

Did you know that in the last 10 years, we have produced more plastic than we have in the last 100 years? We have produce so many microplastics, that its impossible to clean up all of the plastic. We have produced 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. Which is 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic. Which is 80 million blue whales, or 822,000 Eiffel towers. Because of how much plastic we have produced, there isn’t any way that we can clean it all up. All we can do is reduce the amount of plastic that we use.

Even though we have interviewed a few marine biologists and a few people who work with the ocean, he still taught us a lot about the ocean, and I think its cool that he has traveled so many places to learn more about the ocean. I found it so cool how he got inspired by other people to start his own organization. Thank you so much David and Just One Ocean for letting us interview you!

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Yesterday at lunch we interviewed marine biologist Valorie Tovar over zoom. Tovar works with the Loggerhead Marine Life Center Education located in West Palm Beach, Florida. They are dedicated to cleaning up beaches and helping injured sea turtles who have ingested microplastics.

When we were interviewing her we learned a lot. She told us about the ways that microplastics can affect Marine Life negatively. Microplastics can be cancer inducing, and the ocean is filled with them. This makes it really easy for them to be consumed by animals. Scientists have even found microplastics in plankton!

Most of the microplastics being consumed come from the garbage patches. Garbage patches are areas in the ocean that have tons of garbage in them. A lot of Marine Life currently live in these garbage patches. When we were on zoom, we learned that they are formed because of ocean current patterns. When she was talking to us she said “the currents connect us.” meaning that the ocean currents go all around the world. She told us this story of how one time she found an octopus trap on the beach in Florida that had washed up all the way from Africa.

Microplastics don’t only affect Marine Life though, they affect humans too. Another thing Tovar told us about was how microplastics can also end up in humans. She told us that in 2021 scientists found microplastics inside a human. This is because when fishermen catch fish who have eaten microplastics, we eat those fish, meaning we eat the microplastics too. Another way microplastics affect us – we learned – is because 50 percent of the air we breathe comes from the ocean. This means that without a clean ocean we can’t have clean air.

After she had told us this we wanted help, so we asked for some tips to get trash out of the ocean. We learned that some of the best ways were to educate people, reduce the amount of plastic we use, and make sustainability affordable. What she meant by making sustainability affordable was, a lot of people in low income communities cannot afford to get organic things because they are more expensive. If we change this less trash will go into the oceans, less animals will die, less plastic will end up inside of us, and the air will be cleaner.

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On December 13th, we interviewed Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine, a chef and food system expert. She discussed the impact of microplastics and their potential effects on our health. Colombe highlighted that seafood, while nutritious, can contain significant amounts of microplastics due to marine pollution. Larger fish, such as tuna and swordfish, tend to contain higher levels of toxins, so it’s better to consume them less frequently.

Microplastics can disrupt our hormones and infiltrate vital areas of our bodies. To minimize risk, Colombe recommends using glass or metal containers and avoiding plastic wrap and microwaving plastic containers. Microplastics predominantly enter our food supply through the ocean, as fish ingest these particles. In addition to fish, microplastics can be found in various other products, such as sea salt, plastic water bottles, BPA-free cans, and saran wrap. By opting for alternatives like glass or metal containers and choosing Himalayan salt over sea salt, we can reduce our exposure to microplastics and protect our health.

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On January 10th, 2025, Eliza, our science teacher who was our chaperone, Audrey, Xander, Fox, Taiyo, and I went to Washington Square Park to interview people about their knowledge of recycling and composting. Lots of people aren’t very aware of composting. It helps improve our soil, and how plants grow. Composting is good for our environment because it protects the climate by reducing methane emissions from landfills. So everybody should be composting because it will help our environment. After we got the data that we needed, we then made a Pi chart showing how many people know about composting and how many don’t.

We walked around Washington Square Park, asking random people what they knew about composting. In total, we asked 16 people. 60% did know about composting, and 40% didn’t. A few of the people we interviewed were college students at NYU, and they told us about how they composted at home. One of the people told us how she composted back in Seattle, would collect all of her food that she didn’t eat, and she would go to markets, or local composting areas and drop off her compost there. And a few of them were older and told us composting stories back in their days. We were denied by lots of people, but all we needed were just a few yes’ and no’s. We got 10 people who knew about composting, and 6 people who didn’t. So 62.5% know about composting, and 37.5% do not.
We came back with a lot of data, and since it was Xander’s birthday, we decided to take a pit stop at Molly’s Cupcakes and have a little birthday celebration for him with the 6 of us. Happy birthday Xander!

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On January 8th, 2025 we got on a zoom call with a marine biologist who works with Loggerhead Marine Life Center, Valerie Tovar. She is the conservation manager of the organization and answered a few questions about microplastics. Marine Biologists are ssciwentists who study life in the oceans. They research and observe marine organisms and ecosystems, such as oceans and saltwater lakes.

Valerie Tovar graduated with a degree in ocean biology and went to college in Florida. We found her on Instagram and messaged them asking if we could interview them about ocean life. One of the questions we asked was “How do microplastics affect the ocean, and more specifically marine life?” She told us that plastic will never go away, no matter how much we prevent it. Every animal is exposed to microplastics, and she found that fish at the bottom of the ocean had microplastics in them, which means fish closer to the land, are also going to have microplastics in them.

As apart of Valerie Tovar’s job, she goes scuba diving twice a month. While scuba diving, shes found lots of random stuff near the pier where she was diving. One of the items she has found was a traffic cone. Traffic cones are made out of thermoplastic, or rubber, which is bad for the environment. This traffic cone is going to add more microplastics into the ocean. People littering into the ocean are hurting maine life, is eventually going to hurt themselves.

Another question that we asked Valerie that is very important is, “What can microplastics do to our bodies?” Microplastics have carcinogens, which are substances that can develop cancer, and cause hormonal imbalance. Microplastics can do lots of toxic stuff to our bodies, that we should be avoiding. Avoiding microplastics in general will prevent you from getting sick from different diseases.

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On December 13th 2024 we interviewed Colombe Jacobsen-Derstine, who works in the food industry, to help us fill in the blanks about microplastics and how its affects the human body. She taught us about how microplastics are also involved in the food industry, and how its bad for our bodies.

One of the things that we learned is that microplastics end up in the ocean and fish are affected by it. A lot of people eat seafood, whether its cod, tuna, eel, herring, crab, shrimp, lobster, or any food that you can catch in the ocean. If you eat seafood, this means that you are eating microplastics too. Microplastics are bad for your body, because most microplastics are toxic. Microplastics can be disruptive to your hormone balance, and cross barriers in your body.

Although seafood isint the only thing that contains microplastics, but what are ways that we can avoid eating microplastics? How can we avoid putting plastic in the ocean? You should always make sure that you are drinking filtered or bottled water because they are much cleaner than tap water. Especially in NYC, water that comes out of the faucet is very bad for you to drink because it contains a lot of bacteria. You should limit the amount of seafood that you eat, and you should eat farm raised seafood instead, because it is healthier and more safe for you to eat. Another way to reduce the amount of microplastics you eat is by eating in glass containers, or ceramic bowls etc, because in plastic containers, tiny pieces of microplastics are going to enter your food, and then the microplastics will be inside of your system. Preventing microplastics from ending up in our ocean will help the earth, our waters, animals, and humans. But we have to act quickly because there is no turning back.

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On December 11th our group met with Eliza Zygmutowicz, our science teacher and an expert on our environment. We talked to her about various issues related to microplastics and their effect on the world. It was so interesting to learn about how big of an impact microplastics have on our environment and everyday life.

We talked about the impact that fast fashion has on our environment and learned that when we buy clothes, we should aim to wear them more than once to reduce waste. Fast fashion is a big contributor to pollution and uses up natural resources, which has very bad long-term effects on our planet.

We also learned a lot about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is a huge area in the ocean filled with trash and plastic debris. Eliza told us that microplastics from this patch can get into the food chain not only affecting animals but also people who eat seafood. We talked about ways to take action to help solve these problems. She encouraged us to use less plastic, support eco-friendly clothing brands, and participate in beach cleanups to make a positive difference.

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We learned many things from our interview with Eliza. Microplastics have been pushed to the side, even though they have shocking consequences on the human body. Microplastics contain carcinogens, which means they cause cancer. Multiple studies have shown a direct correlation between exposure to microplastics and cancer in the human body. Microplastics have also been linked to the rise in colon and lung cancer.

Microplastics have a drastic effect on the microbiome. The microbiome is located in our gut. It is a place where bacteria thrive. These bacteria help maintain a balance in our bodies. Microplastics disrupt this balance, and the result is a unbalanced human body, which usually causes sickness. Lastly, Microplastics also disrupt the immune system, preventing our body from defending itself from sickness. Overall, microplastics pose a large threat to the human populace, which can only be remedied with change.

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On December 11th 2024, we interviewed Eliza Zygmuntowicz, who is our science teacher to ask her about microplastics, the garbage patch, and a bit about fast fashion. One of the things that we learned is that you can prevent microplastics by using a specific laundry bag that prevents all of the fibers from going through the laundry machine, and eventually ending up in the ocean.

Another thing that we learned is that If you purchase a piece of fast-fashion clothing, make sure you wear it more than once and that it gets its full use. Or even handing it down to someone else for them to wear. Instead of wearing it one time and throwing it away. Because that piece of clothing will end up in the ocean.

The last thing we talked about was the garbage patch. The garbage patch is located in the Pacific Ocean in between Hawaii and California. The garbage patch is a huge patch with a bunch of garbage attached together, slowly building up. The garbage patch is as big as Texas. Which is 268,597 miles long. Imagine seeing a patch of garbage floating in the ocean that was bigger than you, and probably the state you live in.

Eliza gave us lots of details of how we can help prevent microplastics from ending up in the ocean, and gave us new information that will help us in the future.

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