Thursday, June 27, 2013

Exploring the Gyre

Scientists undertake marine debris gyre expedition in Pacific

Scientists, biologists and artists from several organizations, including the Smithsonian, NOAA, National Geographic, Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation, Anchorage Museum and the Ocean Conservancy have undertaken a research cruise which will explore marine debris along the Alaska coastline.

Alaska's beautiful Kenai Peninsula extends from Anchorage to Seldovia

Project Gyre is taking participants more than 450 miles along the rugged Kenai Peninsula coastline- a rarely-explored stretch of coastline that is accumulating unknown amounts of marine debris.  The goal of the project is to paint an ecological picture - both literally and figuratively - of what is happening along Alaska's shores.

Bears
Cruise members photograph wildlife and take in the sights. [Photo: Kip Evans, the Gyre Project]

Along the 1,000 mile round trip journey, participants will catalog, clean up, and share information about the marine debris they encounter.  Ending on a symbolically hopeful note,  the cruise will end with a cleanup of Hallo Bay, and an art display featuring the debris at the Anchorage Museum.

You can follow the journey with photos here: http://driftersproject.net/2013/06/gyre-expedition-updates-and-gallery/

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