Marine Debris Research - Effects of marine debris on wildlife

TeachWild was a national program connecting regional and remote teachers, students and Shell employees through experiential learning aimed at tackling the global issue of marine debris. The program was a national partnership aimed at answering some key questions:Where does marine debris come from?Where does marine debris go?How much marine debris is produced nationally in Australia?What it the risk marine debris poses to wildlife?Over three years, the TeachWild partnership achieved the following:* Over 170 beaches were surveyed, by CSIRO and the participating students, around the coast of Australia (equating to a survey every 100 km), enabling the development of Australia’s first national risk assessment for marine debris;* 5700 students were partnered with leading researchers to understand the causes and effects of marine debris and contributed to the solution;* 160 teachers and Shell employees have worked in the field alongside scientists conducting cutting edge research into the fate of plastics on our marine wildlife; and* A body of free education resources, materials and tools were provided to educators and government agencies across the country to engage students in the issue of marine debris.