Month: March 2020

Aquatic Creatures Living In the Darkness of Our Oceans

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As stated in last week’s blog, the ocean can reach extremely deep depths. The average depth of the ocean reaches 12,100 feet. The deepest part of the ocean is called the Challenger Deep and is located beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench. Challenger Deep is approximately 36,200ft deep. 

 

While understanding these crazy depths, it’s important to note that sunlight stops lighting up the beautiful ocean when you reach 3,280ft! This dark level of the ocean is known as the “midnight zone.” Also, the pressure here is a little under 6000 pounds per square inch, so it takes some serious specialization to live down here.


These are all cool facts, but how are animals even able to see in complete darkness? Basically, these animals are blind, so they must rely on their physical bodies to feel around them. Due to the blindness, these creatures have no camouflage or bright colors. Because there is so little food, they have slow metabolisms, small muscles and grow very slowly. 

 

Here is a list of a Few Animals Living in the Midnight Zone:

  1. Anglerfish

This angry looking fish lives in the Atlantic and Antarctic oceans deep in the midnight zone. Worn only by females, their most interesting feature is a long piece of dorsal spine that hangs above their mouths like a fishing pole—hence their name. They use this spine to bait prey by using its lure of luminous flesh. Interestingly enough, their mouths are so big they can actually swallow prey up to twice their own size! 

 

  1. The Vampire Squid

Though it resembles both, the vampire squid is neither a squid or an octopus. Scientists have separated the vampire squid into its own special group. This creature has a staggering amount of eight arms and two tentacles. It does not suck or drink blood and instead gets its common name from its dark color and the skin that connects the arms, resembling a cape. It is surprisingly not a carnivore as it devours “marine snow”, which consists of bits of dead planktonic creatures. 

 

  1. Snipe Eel

This eel might be one of the weirdest looking fish you’ve ever seen! It has a long rope-like body with a curved upper and lower jaw. The jaws are covered with small pirate hooked teeth that help capture tiny shrimp as well as other crustaceans

 

Because we have only discovered 5% of the Earth’s Oceans, discovering new species like these incredible ones, are extremely important to the development of our world. As mentioned in last week’s blog, plastic has been found in the deepest parts of our oceans. This is why we need to do our part in stopping this spread and aiding in keeping our oceans clean! 

 

Written By: Skylar Griffin

Edited by: Kailyn Hayes

 

Sustainable Products You Can Use

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Written by: Victoria Licona Edited by: Kailyn Hayes

 

Small gestures, big changes. Recently, people have been finding new ways to keep plastic out of the ocean. New sustainable products are coming out every day and with each one that comes out, less plastic will be needed. Using environmentally friendly products and materials every day is a great way to reduce our carbon footprint. Below is a list of products that could be useful and could help us reduce the amount of plastic being polluted in the ocean. 

 

Stainless Steel Straws 

In 2018, Starbucks announced that by 2020, they would ban plastic straws in their company. Like Starbucks, many other companies have taken the initiative to ban plastic straws from their companies. Stainless steel straws have been the initiative most companies have taken to reduce the use of plastic straws. Below is a list of why you should switch to stainless steel straws. 

  • Safe and Durable
  • Easy to Clean
  • Reusable 

One way to reduce the impact of plastic straws on the environment is to simply stop using plastic straws: You can either drink directly from a cup or use a reusable alternative to plastic, like stainless steel straws. 

Bamboo Toothbrushes

There are many types of toothbrushes, but the most common is the plastic toothbrush. Every year billions of plastic toothbrushes are thrown away. They are dumped into our oceans or end up in landfills, where they sit around for about 1000 years before finally breaking down. The Bamboo toothbrush is often regarded as the eco-friendliest toothbrush option, the Bamboo toothbrush has a lot of qualities that sets it apart from regular toothbrushes Some are listed below:

  • Eco Friendly
  • Preserves oral hygiene the same as a plastic toothbrush
  • Antimicrobial (bacteria won’t grow on the handle)

Reusable Bags

No longer do we hear a grocery store employee ask “Paper or Plastic?”. A growing movement around the world is for consumers to purchase and bring their reusable bags to the store to use to carry their products home. This includes any type of bags, even plastic ones that are being reused for the grocery store. Some beaches around Texas, including South Padre Island, have banned the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. Below are some reasons you should use reusable bags:

  • Save money
  • Useful for more than just the grocery store
  • Protect wildlife


All of these products and techniques can be used to help save the environment. This is only a small fraction of the environmentally friendly options out there, so if you haven’t found what you’re looking for, keep looking!

A New Species Found in 2020 Named After Plastic- Eurythenes Plasticus

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Image result for a new species named after plasticThroughout our time as humans living on the Earth, we have only discovered about 5% of the ocean. This leaves 95% of the ocean unexplored, as we are finding new species everyday. Most recently a species unearthed was named Eurythenes Plasticus…… sound familiar? 

 

Image result for mariana trenchEurythenes Plasticus is a new species of arthropod. It is a two inch shrimp-like animal found in the deepest trench on Earth- The Mariana Trench. The Mariana Trench reaches depths up to 36,000 ft as this new arthropod was found at a staggering 20,000 ft- This is crazy deep! Think of it this way: Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world reaching heights of 29,028 ft and the Mariana Trench is 36,000 ft!

 

Now, this discovery is cool and all, but why is this creature named after plastic? Sadly enough, this arthropod was named after plastic was found inside of its guts. Specifically, this plastic is called polyethylene-terephthalate. Polyethylene-terephthalate is a plastic commonly found in clothing, plastic bottles, and plastic food packaging.

 

The fact that plastic was found in a species 20,000ft deep in the ocean should be extremely alarming to us. In an article in the Earther, Alan Jamieson, the head of research that helped discover this species states, “We decided on the name Eurythenes plasticus as we wanted to highlight the fact that we need to take immediate action to stop the deluge of plastic waste into our oceans.”

 

If it hasn’t been apparent to you, let us just reiterate: plastic is taking over the world. It’s found everywhere, even 20,000 ft down in the Mariana Trench. If we don’t stop this spread of plastic, it will truly take over everything. 

Written by Skylar Griffin
Edited by Sofia Avila

Where Does Ocean Plastic Come From?

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Hey Ocean Olympians! For this week’s blog post, we’re focusing on the underlying issue of ocean pollution: where it comes from. of the ocean littered with all kinds of trash, but have you ever taken the time to reflect on how it got there? Today, we’re gonna highlight some of the ways trash makes its way to the ocean.

  1. Littering

We all know that there’s no excuse for littering, so why do people still do it? We may never know the answer to that question, but as the World Wildlife Fund states, trash dropped on the streets isn’t magically thrown away into a bin. Instead, rainwater and wind drag this waste into street drains, which ultimately is filtered back to the ocean. Remember, all drains lead back to the ocean! So next time you see trash littering the street, if it’s safe to pick up, properly dispose of it in a trash or recycling bin. It only takes two seconds, and your oceans will thank you!

It takes almost no effort to dispose of your litter properly! Image provided by actionforrenewables.org

     2. Products Going Down the Drain

There are so many types of products we flush down the toilet daily, and we probably don’t think twice about it. According to ocean.org , there are four products that are considered sinful to flush. First, wet wipes. Whether it be makeup wipes or baby wipes, this boujee toilet paper is responsible for clogging sewage pipes and releasing thousands of microfibers that are harmful to marine life. Another product is kitchen grease. When poured down the kitchen sink, the oil in your cooking pan forms into a solid, causing another form of sewage blockage. This eventually releases into the ocean as a form of pollution. 

A third waste are, surprisingly, contact lenses, which are made up of a bendable plastic. Sorry to contact lense users (myself included!), but throwing them down the drain causes the plastic to break into smaller plastic particles, invading the ocean. Finally, we have pills. Flushing pills down the drain releases all sorts of chemicals and hormones into the ocean, causing harm to all sorts of marine life.

 

     3. Recyclable Materials That Aren’t Recycled

Okay, we know that everyone is guilty of not recycling something that could’ve been recycled just out of sheer negligence. According to Greenpeace, plastics that end up with regular landfill, are at risk of being blown away into the environment, and can make their way into drains. The best thing we can do to prevent this is simple…recycle! Have a recycling bin separate from regular trash, and be proactive when throwing away waste. Even better, try to eliminate plastic all together! Baby steps include using reusable shopping bags, reusable water bottles, and using glass containers. There’s so many more plastic free alternatives, and if you’re looking for some ideas, check out My Plastic Free Life, as they list 100 alternatives!

9 tips provided by lessplastic.co.uk

Knowing that ocean pollution begins with what we decide to put down the drain, or throw on the street, is something that we can learn to correct. By simply recycling plastics, or being conscious of throwing away contact lenses in the trash rather than down the sink can help clean our seas and keep waste out of our beautiful oceans!

 

Written by Sofia, Edited by Skylar

Take Notes: Seattle collection made entirely from ocean waste

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(Photo credit: Five12 Apparel)

Written by Kailyn and Edited by Emily

Five12 Apparel is a sustainable activewear line created with 100 percent recycled, post-consumable materials. The brand just announced their first campaign. They are hoping to raise $10K by April 2 to fund their new “OC (Ocean Cleanup) Collection,” made entirely from discarded ghost fishing nets and recovered ocean plastics. 

The brand specializes in indoor and outdoor performance apparel and a variety of accessories. They aim to center their collections around the environment, stating: 

“Holding our company to the highest standards of sustainability, we reduce, reuse, and recycle. As of today, we use recycled coffee grounds, plastic water bottles and used windshields. We will continue to develop new products from post consumer recycled components translating into performance apparel, bags, and accessories.”

Ghost fishing nets & Coffee Grounds

The company selected ghost fishing nets because they “are one of the greatest killers of marine life and biggest threats to our oceans.”

Five12’s Huntington Hoodies and Santa Cruz 7/8 Crops are made from ghost fishing nets that are destroying our oceans.  These products are great examples of taking lemons and making lemonade. Five12 selected ghost fishing nets because they “are one of the greatest killers of marine life and biggest threats to our oceans.” The team gathers, cleans, melts, and develops these nets into the recycled yarn used in their woven garments.

(Photo credit: Five12 Apparel)

During ghost fishing, nets get lost in the water, injuring and killing sea life and contaminating the ocean for decades. A recent study estimated there are over 85,000 lobster and crab ghost traps in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. 

The company also utilizes coffee grounds to make clothing. ‘Why coffee grounds?’ you might ask. Between odor control, UV protection, and moisture management, coffee grounds provide technical qualities needed to create comfortable activewear that makes an effective outdoor experience.

Think of that cold brew you had this morning, or the long lines of people at Starbucks… Several cups of coffee are consumed every single day around the world. The post consumable coffee grounds are gathered from local shops where the oils are extracted to make a dry powder. The powder is then turned into pellets which are melted to make fiber.

Recycled Windshields & More

Replacing your windshield? No problem. Five12 implements these windshields and recycles them to make backpacks. The PVB plastic waste film is separated from the glass and cleaned. These chips are then melted to create pellets, which are then melted and prepared to make water-resistant fabrics.

They’re so passionate about the efforts made to protect our oceans and marine life that they plan to donate 10% of all Huntington Hoodie profits to The Ocean Cleanup.

(Photo credit: Five12 Apparel)

It’s worth mentioning that this is not the only company tossing their hat in the race to save the ocean. Last week, we talked about Adidas’ new shoe design, but it is apparent that more brands are growing an interest in operating sustainably. Additionally, Nike and Patagonia work to incorporate recycled materials into their products.

Why is this important?

As they constantly challenge themselves to find new ways to create outerwear that saves our environment, we should challenge ourselves to help save the ocean. Head over to our Twitter page to see what this week’s challenge is!

CSR and Ocean Pollution

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Corporate Social Responsibility is when a company or organization contributes to societal goals set around them by society. This can be shown in terms of volunteering, charitable giving, socially and environmentally conscious investments, etc.  Through CSR initiatives, corporations and companies can boost their brand while simultaneously helping society. Recently, companies have taken the initiative of tackling the ocean pollution issue. Companies like Adidas and Sky have taken the first step in bringing awareness to ocean pollution and how to fix the problem.

Adidas recently came out with their new running shoe called the “Parley”. This new shoe has a woven aspect that is made completely out of plastic fished out of the ocean. Every shoe is original, and made up of trash collected from nearby beaches. Apart from creating a new running shoe, Adidas came out with a new campaign called “For the Oceans”. The campaign emphasizes that Adidas is trying to fight for plastic free oceans by turning plastic trash into sportswear. Adidas has also created a marathon for their employees called “Run for the Oceans”. The company pledges that by the start of 2024 it will be off virgin polyester completely. 

Sky Media took a different approach. The company invested 25 million euros into start-ups that tackle the ocean plastic crisis through Sky Ocean Ventures. The company has also partnered with National Geographic to create the Ocean Plastic Innovation Challenge. The challenge is a global search that looks for the best ways to reduce ocean pollution and how to make better use of the plastic that is already in the oceans. Sky Media partnered with Algramo and CELLUGY after these companies won the challenge. They have since gotten the money to improve their efforts in reducing ocean pollution.

While some people believe that CSR seems like a very forced act, mostly because it is hard to tell if the company actually wants to help the situation, Adidas and Sky Media are breaking barriers and pushing limits to how we as a society can help reduce ocean pollution. They have come up with two very unique ways to make reducing ocean pollution fun and trendy! This merely emphasizes the fact that corporate social responsibility keeps large companies accountable to do their part in helping society in addition to being role models and encouraging other people to make a change.  

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=adidas+recycled+plastic+shoes&safe=strict&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS848US849&sxsrf=ALeKk03ss4xCENrDnQsDgcNVK-igbfpi_A:1583292511240&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXudSd8P_nAhVBIDQIHflYCzQQ_AUoA3oECA0QBQ&biw=788&bih=553#imgrc=TDoAB81H4adh3M

https://www.unido.org/our-focus/advancing-economic-competitiveness/competitive-trade-capacities-and-corporate-responsibility/corporate-social-responsibility-market-integration/what-csr

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sky/

https://www.adidas.com/us/parley

 

Four Mind Blowing Facts about Pollution in our Ocean

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Welcome back Ocean Olympians! Today we’re going to list some eye opening facts regarding pollution in the ocean. We hope reading these terrifying facts push you to do more to help the ocean!

Fact #1: Over 8 million tons of garbage enters our ocean each year

According to Passport Ocean, over 8 million tons of plastic is deposited into our ocean every single year! This amount of plastic is “equivalent to emptying a garbage truck of plastic into an ocean every minute.” 

To grasp the reality of this fact the article “Simple Math Problems,” ” has made this crazy plastic statistic more comprehendible by comparing it to being the same as “two Empire State Buildings every month going into the ocean.” 

It might difficult to imagine that making a couple of changes in your daily life can help lower pollution and have a positive impact, but it really can. 

Fact #2: Pollution easily contaminates your seafood causing possible serious health issues

Think about it, pollution affects thousands and thousands of fish everyday. With that being said, it’s very possible that the seafood you eat contains some sort of plastic contamination. 

That sushi you ate last week could cause some serious health issues for your future. Don’t you want to be able to eat seafood without having to worry if it could hurt you? 

 

Fact #3: There is an island of garbage two times the size of Texas in the middle of the Pacific ocean

 

According to Passport Ocean, “the number of floating plastic pieces outnumbers total marine life six to one in the immediate vicinity.” 

This island grows bigger and bigger everyday. 

 

Fact #4: There are now many dead zones in the ocean

What are dead zones? Dead zones are extremely scary because these places have no marine or plant life. Imagine, parts of the ocean completely void of life. 

Why are dead zones formed? Well, you guessed it- pollution. Due to pollution, low oxygen levels are formed in certain parts of the ocean creating dead zones. 

There are over 500 dead zones in the ocean, covering a similar size to the united kingdom. 

 

Most Common Items Found in the Ocean 

  • Cigarettes 
  • Food/Candy Wrappers
  • Plastic Bottles
  • Plastic Bags
  • Caps and Lids 
  • Beverage Cans
  • Straws and Tableware

 

These facts are extremely alarming considering that nothing is getting better. Our fish continue to consume plastic, the garbage island continues to grow larger, and dead zones continue to increase. 

If we all start making changes in our daily routine such as recycling or buying less plastic products, we could contribute to making a positive change in our oceans. 

 

Written by Skylar Griffin

Edited by Emily Ram