Plastic, Ahoy!: Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

by Patricia Newman, Annie Crawley (Illustrator)

Overview

Plastic: it's used to make everything from drink bottles and bags to toys and toothbrushes. But what happens when it ends up where it doesn't belong—like in the Pacific Ocean? How does it affect ocean life? Is it dangerous? And exactly how much is out there?

A team of researchers went on a scientific expedition to find out. They explored the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where millions of pieces of plastic have collected. The plastic has drifted there from rivers, beaches, and ocean traffic all over the world. Most of it has broken down into tiny pieces the size of confetti.

For nearly three weeks at sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms. These samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean. Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch—and what alarming discoveries they made.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467712835
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2014
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	9.90(w) x 9.80(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	900L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 13 Years

About the Author

Patricia Newman wants us all to know we are part of nature. As a Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient, she shows us how our actions ripple around the world, empowers us to find our own connections to nature, and encourages us to use our imaginations to act on behalf of our communities. Patricia likes to think of her books as a contribution that helps make the world a better place for the next generation. Her nonfiction titles have received multiple starred reviews, Orbis Pictus Recommended Awards (NCTE), Green Earth Book Awards, several Eureka! Awards from the California Reading Association, and most have been included in the Bank Street College's Best Books of the Year lists. To learn more, visit her website at patriciamnewman.com or connect with her on social media.

Annie Crawley, aka Ocean Annie, travels and works around the world. Trained as a photo and broadcast journalist, her work has been broadcast and published worldwide. From Indonesia to Galapagos, Belize to Papua New Guinea, India to Australia, Annie has explored and documented life on our planet. Based in Seattle, Annie works as a producer, writer, photographer, and motivational speaker. She founded Dive Into Your Imagination, a multimedia company producing books, enhanced eBooks, educator guides, films, motivational art, and more. Annie was the photographer and filmmaker aboard SEAPLEX sponsored by Project Kaisei and Samy's Camera. Annie specializes in the underwater realm and also works as a photo, video, and scuba diving instructor. She is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and created a dive team for kids and teens. Visit her online at www.AnnieCrawley.com and www.anniecrawleyphotography.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Captivating, captioned photographs from the ship's voyage fill each page. Vivid and detailed diagrams provide further details to the studies." —Library Media Connection

From the Publisher

2014-01-22
Student researchers spend three weeks on a small ship investigating plastic residue and its effect on ocean water and marine life in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Straightforward organization introduces the students—Miriam Goldstein, Chelsea Rochman and Darcy Taniguchi—the problem, the 2009 Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition, daily life on the research vessel and the scientific method: observe, develop hypotheses, design experiments. There are explanations of the North Pacific Central Gyre, the particular patch of the Pacific where plastic accumulates; the students' individual research interests in rafting organisms, phytoplankton, and the chemistry of both plastics and surrounding water; and the scientific tools they used. Realistically, although Darcy comes home with observational data, her subsequent research follows another path. But the author describes some of Miriam's and Chelsea's continued experiments, seeking to answer questions their observations raised. Finally, the author suggests ways to reduce the use of plastics that might end up in ocean waters, oceangoing creatures and our bodies as well as on our beaches. Sidebars and text boxes add information. Photographs taken on the expedition help tell the story, and the book's design is appealing and appropriate. A sobering introduction and solid demonstration of science research in action. (source notes, glossary, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-15)

Kirkus Reviews