Resource Spotlight Microplastics Awareness Project Each time you wash your face or brush your teeth, you just may be adding microscopic bits of plastic into the aquatic environment. These tiny particles never biodegrade and are accidentally eaten by marine life, threatening their health. Toxins in the environment are attracted to and can easily adhere to their surface. The Florida Microplastic Awareness Project (FMAP) is a citizen-science project that was funded in 2015 by an outreach and education grant from NOAA's Marine Debris Program. Volunteer citizens are collecting coastal water samples, filtering them and looking for microplastics.
Bridge DATA Series Bridge DATA - Coral Bleaching: A White Hot Problem Some of the planet's most diverse ecosystems are at risk. With temperatures on the rise, coral reefs are at greater risk for coral bleaching. In this DATA exercise, students assess coral bleaching using water temperature data from the NOAA National Data Buoy Center to discuss howit may have affected coral reefs and predict what may be on the horizon. The Bridge's own DATA Series is made up of lesson plans (DATA Tips) on many ocean science topics that explore the world of water using the language of science: mathematics. Learn more about the DATA Series.