Fi$hing4Plastic Tournament
(Continued from page 16)
After these finds, everyone grabbed their nets and went to work, finding many
patches of seagrass laden with debris. Soon an array of plastic was displayed before
us: bottle caps, balloons, ribbon, bottles, jagged pieces of plastic, etc. The groups
excitement grew as we gathered these things, especially Ms. Bonnie, who explained
that every piece of plastic or debris we found today had truly saved many sea
creatures lives. Mr. Helm also commented how bewildered he is at the number of
people who release balloons for special occasions. In our area, these balloons can
end up in our ocean and be mistaken for food by an innocent animal.
As our day came close to an end, we enjoyed discussing our findings and eating
a good lunch together while taking multiple pictures along the way. Our success
continued as Captain Varner spotted another piece of plastic—one of the most
surprising we found. When the plastic was pulled up, we all mistook it for a normal
plastic baggy. Ms. Bonnie quickly pointed out that it was no ordinary plastic bag,
but was instead one of many bags of water that had been sent to Haiti, probably
following Hurricane Matthew. Haiti is currently dealing with a huge pollution
problem with these empty water bags as they pollute their streams and streets. We
were astonished to learn the distances that debris can travel on the ocean currents.
We all settled in our spots for the long trip home, reflecting on what we had
learned about this threat to our oceans. As we passed the Cape Lookout lighthouse
on the return trip, I realized I wasn’t the same person I had been when we started
the day. Not only did we do good by gathering the debris, but did it as a true
team—one that encouraged and supported one another.
Arii^ng baidc at the Maritime Museum in Beaufort, all I could see was joy
teams of former strangers doing what they truly love and helping their planet. One
team was named as the winner of the tournament since they collected the most
plastic from the ocean. Not only did we all receive prizes for our work, but together
the four teams that participated collected 150 pounds of trash—an effort that
united us all.
Each piece of plastic we found had its own story, some obvious (like the water
bag) and some remaining a mystery. Regardless of how the plastic came to be in
the ocean, we must realize the damage it can cause on us as well as the animals
that live there. Together we can all lessen the pollution in our waters by educating
each other and working together to make a difference.
Couvtncy Bridge is ci senior at West Carteret High School, and is interested in
writing and improving the environment. Her participation in the Fishing4Plastic
Tournament and the report here are part of her senior project required for
graduation. She originally decided to write an article for The Shoreline, and was glad
to write about her participation in the Fishing4Plastic Tournament as well. She hopes
to attend two years at Carteret Community College and transfer to Western Carolina
University to study nursing. Throughout her life, she plans to write poetry and short
stories about nature and life as these are the topics that inspire her most.
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December
Sudoku
See page 18 for solution.
ROLL
)DAY
pEDICALIWN^W
PHARMACY & HOME MEDICAL
CALENDAR
■■Hill
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PROGRAM
We manage your medications so you can manage life.
Beaufort Main Store
1513 Live Oak St. 301 Penny Lane
(in ffont ofke Hofdware) (behind the hospitol)
P (252) 504-2800 P (252) 726-0777
F (252) 504-2805 F (252) 726-6497
Newport
MoreheadWest
278 Hwy 24 129 Nine Foot Rd.
(next to Wol-Moft) (neot Food Lion)
P (252) 726-0279
F (252) 726-0792
P (252) 223-3080
F (252) 223-3090
20 The Shoreline I December 2017
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