- Writer: Anna Lena Lux The device that could save us all - meet Jenny Nicknamed Jenny, this plastic catching device, created by the NGO Ocean Cleanup, removed 9,000 kg of plastic from the Pacific Garbage patch near Hawaii. Over the summer, Ocean Cleanup, tested their newest prototype and published promising results that Jenny is able to collect different types of plastic waste from the ocean and even Boyan Slat, the founder of Ocean Cleanup at mere 27 years of age, excitedly announced his organizations' success on Twitter.
Recent studies show that 30 times more of the oceans plastic is found at the bottom of the ocean. Naturally the jenny device does not prevent more plastic from entering the oceans and about 11 million tons are dumped into the ocean per year (Bendix, 2021). Sources: Bendix, A. (2021, October 15). A half-mile installation just took 20,000 pounds of plastic out of the Pacific - proof that ocean garbage can be cleaned. Business Insider. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.businessinsider.com/ocean-cleanup-device-removed-plastic-pacific-garbage-patch-2021-10. Koop, F. (2021, October 19). This device just cleaned up 9,000 kilograms of trash out of the Ocean. ZME Science. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.zmescience.com/science/this-device-just-cleaned-up-9000-kilograms-of-trash-out-of-the-ocean/. Wadden Sea: Home of the TidesThe Wadden Sea is an intertidal region located along the coast connecting the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Shaped largely by the tides and sediment deposit, it is a mudflats and sand environment that is largely the size of Kosovo. The flat and coastal wetland is formed by the interactions between the biological factors in the tidal channels, sandy shores and seagrass meadows and the dunes that make up the characteristic landscape of this environment. It is the largest unbroken area of its kind and is home to many importing groups of migratory birds and 100 different species of worms and more than 10,000 species of animals and plants. The salt marshes provide support for migratory birds and up to 6 million birds pass through this area each year, which connects the Waddensea to the rest of the global diversity as the birds that nest, and feed in these waters are essential to the worldwide biodiversity of the oceans. The most memorable inhabitants of this coastline that visitors remember are the grey seals, also known as true seals or earless seals, which have become the region's icons and a popular tourist attraction. The key threats that this environment faces are the development of harbours along the coast and the fishing activities that cause maritime traffic together with tourism developments and impacts from climate change. NGOs working on protecting the natural coastal environment and declaring natural zones are trying to preserve this unique environment. If you ever find yourselves around the northern part of Germany, the Netherlands or the west coast of Denmark, be sure to give this ocean environment a visit! Sources:
Images: Anna Lena Lux Sources for facts: Centre, U. N. E. S. C. O. W. H. (2009). Wadden Sea. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1314. Germany, R. I. (2021). The Wadden Sea – a place of natural and cultural extremes. The Wadden Sea – a place of natural and cultural extremes - Research in Germany. Retrieved October 20, 2021, from https://www.research-in-germany.org/en/infoservice/newsletter/newsletter-2021/june-2021/the-wadden-sea-a-place-of-natural-and-cultural-extremes_livingingermany_.html.
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AuthorThe OMG Newsletter is run by the members of the service group. Topics are taken from the whole world by our researchers and formed into concise articles of our own. We invite experts to bring facts into our educational newsletter, and special contributions of students to showcase their ocean themed comic strip, so that it can be enjoyed by various age groups. Archives
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