Marine Debris Project Final Report 2014

Part IIIYear Two in Review3. A brief synopsisAt two years into the project we were on target in achieving our goals and addressing our four focalquestions. We achieved and exceeded all of the key milestones identified for year two. The milestonesincluded: 1) completing the coastal debris surveys, 2) carrying out the Scientist for a Day program inVictoria, Western Australia and Northern Territory, 3) carrying out a sea-based research expedition offthe Western Australian coast, 4) conducting four multiple (generally 3-7) day intensive teacherexpeditions, 5) significantly improving the National Data Portal and 6) carrying out initial, exploratoryanalyses of data. We are also beginning to realise new opportunities and the impact of our work, asevidenced through engagement with a variety of stakeholders around the country and overseas.By the end of year two we had surveyed more than 170 sites around mainland Australia and the islandstate of Tasmania, completing the national survey for coastal debris (Figure 2). Many of the sites wereremote and accessed by either car, foot, float plane (Broome to Darwin and west/southwest Tasmania)or boat (Figure 3).In year two of the project we carried out Scientist for a Day activities in Northern Territory, Victoria,Western Australia, Tasmania and Queensland. We spent a week in the Melbourne surrounds in August2012, a week in Exmouth, Carnarvon and surrounding areas in November 2012, a week in the greaterPerth region in February 2013 and a week near Gladstone at the end of May 2013 working with schoolgroups as part of the TeachWild education and science engagement. CSIRO staff also visited threeschools in Tasmania (April/May 2013). In total, by the end of year two we had engaged with more than3,000 students since the inception of the TeachWild program, exceeding our goal for numbers ofstudents with whom to engage in the TeachWild Scientist for a Day program.As part of the at-sea surveys, we were able to bring three science educators on board the AustralianNational Research Vessel, the Southern Surveyor, where they participated in an intensive 10-dayvoyage and collected marine debris data from Perth to Darwin. The science expedition was led by oneof the lead CSIRO scientists. The teachers from Western Australia, South Australia and the NorthernTerritory collected surface trawl data at more than 20 locations between Perth and Darwin. This was acritically important trip with respect to marine debris data collection from surface trawls as itHardesty et al. (2014) | 13