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Unlike the open ocean, the Great Lakes don't have endless currents to sweep trash away. Whatever enters these inland seas stays in our watershed. But how do researchers actually track this synthetic footprint scattered across thousands of square miles of open water and coastlines? To find out, Sanctuary Fellow Cassidy Beach explores the frontlines of freshwater plastic research in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Dive into the high-tech filtration systems and standardized shore surveys mapping Great Lakes plastic. Can sifting through debris and microscopic fibers really unlock a cure for eco-anxiety? Grab your field gear and come along to find out.

Featured Guests:

• Sophie Stuart — Education and Outreach Specialist & Volunteer Coordinator, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in support of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Hayley Charlton-Howard — Field Scientist, Viking Expeditions

Sources & Resources:

• Current state of microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes and potential risks👉https://pubs.acs.org/ascecg/article/10/43/14074/1494675/Microplastics-in-the-Great-Lakes-Environmental
• Mass and distribution of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes👉 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X1630981X
• NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project 👉https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/monitoring/marine-debris-monitoring-and-assessment-project
• Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/
• Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbayfriends.org/
• Viking Expeditions👉https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditions/cruise-destinations

Host: Cassidy Beach — Sanctuary Fellow & Science Communicator — cassidyebeach.com