1. Lundie Spence, Ph.D., COSEE SE Presentation at SCMEA October 14, 2007 Design Credit: Z. Norris Post and Courier Special Issue Published August 29,2007 Is this education? Should students care? What can we all do? What’s the problem?

2. Find the problems on this beach. Color plastic red Color metal purple Color glass blue Color rubber yellow

3. Why Should You Care? Wildlife Entanglement Human Safety Navigational Hazards Tourism Images/Economics Personal Pride

4. What’s happening to Wildlife?

5. What is marine debris? Recreational and Commercial Gear Pots, nets, lines Monofilament fishing line Fishing tackle Abandoned Vessels Recreational Boats Commercial Boat Docks Litter Plastics Metal Paper, Wood, Any produced item left in the environment

6. What is the source of litter?

7. Photo Credit: W. Golder Consequences of Abandoned & Lost Fishing Gear

8. Solutions to Monofilament Line: Recycle Recover Reuse Rescue Credit: SCDNR Credit: SCSGC Recreational Fishing Line Recycling Bins

9. Consequences of Abandoned Pots— “By catch” of Diamondback Terrapins Diamondback Terrapins (DBT) can drown in abandoned crab pots. Credit: M. Hoyle Hundreds of DBTs drowned in 8 unchecked commercial fyke nets in Maryland.

10. Solutions: Install “ByCatch Reduction Devices” (BRD), mark and secure pots, check frequently

11. Abandoned Vessels in waterways and tidal creeks Solution: Find/fine the owner; remove at state and federal expense Credit: L Spence Credit: SCDHEC

12. SC Dolphins wearing packing tape Litter: A life or death issue for marine mammals Credit: Wayne McFee SC Dolphin Trailing Fishing gear

13. Bryde’s Whale: Necropsy reveals Stomach contents with plastic bags Educational Video: “Death of A Whale” Environmental Media, Beaufort, SC Credit: NOAA Humpback Whale: Badly entangled fluke with commercial fishing gear. Right Whale entanglement

14. Litter Lifetimes Poster COSEE SE

15. South Carolina Beach Sweep/River Sweep September 2008

16. Classroom Ideas Test the strength of fishing line: Put a rubber and on a your fingers as a bird’s beak.

17. Thanks for Your Support Charleston Post and Courier