My first ever story from my sophomore year of college! I was lucky enough to speak with Marcus Eriksen, Ph.D., scientist and co-founder of the 5 Gyres organization and Laura Markley, a Ph.D. candidate studying plastic pollution at Syracuse University. The microplastic issue is worldwide, so I wanted to dive into the ongoing research.

Photo of microplastics: Courtesy of Laura Markley

I wrote this story during my senior year of college at SUNY ESF. It’s based on my three week volunteer trip to Drake Bay, Costa Rica in summer 2024. I was fortunate enough to interview Eddy Carmack, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist Emeritus and head of the Drift Bottle Project, Sarah Weller, Senior Manager of International Coastal Cleanup at Ocean Conservancy, and my dad, Stephen Carman. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I loved writing it!

Remembering our personal connections to any body of water, understanding cultural relationships with water, and educating ourselves and each other about marine solutions to combat climate change are all steps toward a future where we have kept our promise with the ocean. Our promise to preserve and protect it for years to come.

Consider future generations: Would you want them to create memories with the ocean like you did? I know I do.