Beach bots for marine debris: engaging with underserved and underrepresented students to pilot marine debris removal technologies

Comar, Abigail

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/122956 Copy

Description

Title

Beach bots for marine debris: engaging with underserved and underrepresented students to pilot marine debris removal technologies

Author(s)

Comar, Abigail

Issue Date

2024-04-24

Keyword(s)

• marine debris
• plastic
• microplastics

Abstract

Trash removal technologies are relatively new to the cleanup arena with little known about their effectiveness, operation, and maintenance. Ohio Sea Grant and coastal partners were given, through funding from Meijer grocery stores and the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup, two trash removal devices (BeBot and Pixie Drone) to support cleanup efforts on beaches, marinas, inland waterways, and ports. Ohio Sea Grant is using the new trash removal technologies to develop an education and workforce development program in partnership with Cuyahoga Community College’s Advanced Technology Training Center (ATTC). Through the ATTC, the talent to successfully operate this equipment, train on-site partners, and develop training materials is readily available locally. Through this partnership, coastal partners receiving the trash removal technology will benefit from the knowledge and expertise the students have in the space of robotics and equipment care and management, while providing the students with relevant job training and field experience in the rapidly growing green jobs and economy sector for marine debris removal technologies. Students are also supporting waste characterization efforts to learn data collection and management protocols. Currently in the second year of implementation, we will share lessons learned, funding streams, first year data results, and student stories.

Has Part

https://youtu.be/iOnuSuqo_PQ

Type of Resource

• text
• still image

Owning Collections