2023-09-15 | 12:00 PT | Online
Marine Debris: Impacts and Engagement in the Northeast Pacific
Join Oriana Smy, with the Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for the Northeast Pacific, and expert panelists with STORAGE, and Save the Waves Coalition for an engaging discussion on marine debris on September 15, at 12:00 pm PDT. Together, we will dive into the topic of marine debris in the Northeast Pacific region, including transoceanic trash, ocean plastics, ghost gear, and beach-cast litter. We will review ongoing shoreline clean-up efforts, as well as the distribution and settlement patterns of microplastics, and how collaboration and community involvement can help with monitoring and remediation.
We're thrilled to welcome the following expert speakers with diverse regional perspectives:
Oriana Smy is the Communications Coordinator and Marine Debris Specialist with the Ocean Decade Collaborative Center for the Northeast Pacific, and a Master of Arts Candidate in Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, studying the social and cultural impacts of marine debris on coastal communities.
Astrid Delorme is a Marie Curie postdoc fellow currently at the Center for Marine Debris Research team at Hawaii Pacific University, and is also working with The Ocean Cleanup, the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER) and Clermont-Auvergne INP on her Marie Curie project STORAGE, funded by the European Union.
Diego Sancho Gallegos is the Data Coordinator for Save the Waves Coalition. He grew up surfing in Costa Rica before moving to California, where he completed his B.S and M.S. degrees at Stanford University. Diego works to empower coastal users to take care of their natural environment by making science and technology accessible and easy to use.
Following the presentations, we invite participants to join in a moderated Q&A session.
Early Career Ocean Professional (ECOP) Session – 1:00-1:30 pm PDT
Immediately following this webinar we will dedicate half an hour for additional questions and networking with Early Career Ocean Professionals (ECOPs), lead by Amanda Madro, Science Advisor for environmental planning, sustainability and marine debris initiatives with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Amanda’s work in both the northern and southern Polar Regions and across coastal British Columbia highlights the importance of marine debris management for healthier ecosystems and coastal communities.
