Class: Marine Ecology
Grades: 11th and 12th
Teacher: Michelle Wildes

John Wigglesworth, scientist, activist, and teacher, spoke with students in the Marine Ecology class on the impacts of microplastics in our oceans.

He gave a brief summary of his background of being a captain in the Sea Education Association program and how that propelled him to want to bring his love of the oceans into the classroom.

Students in the Marine Ecology class are currently learning about the oceans. They have an upcoming independent research project, and many are interested in the topic of plastics, fishing, and humans impacting sea life.

“As we have been studying human impacts on our global oceans it was eye opening to have John share with us how the plastic pollution discovery and reality came about by local researchers from Woods Hole and their high school students. The breadth of data that the students have collected over the years about ocean plastics have been critical to our ocean’s health. John gave us an authentic window into this history and the ongoing research.” – Michelle Wildes, US Science Teacher

More about this course: Ecology is all about relationships and interconnections. In this course, students will focus on the interdependence of living marine organisms (biotic factors) and their ocean environment (abiotic factors) and how energy flows through Earth’s systems and connects us to all living things. Topics interwoven throughout the course include: biodiversity, interdependence, chemical cycles, population biology, trophic structure, predation, competition, symbiosis, climate change and human impacts. We will use collaborative modeling, experimental design, current research, and field experiences to deepen our understanding of marine science. Field trip experiences to places such as New England Aquarium and/or Northeastern University’s Marine Biological Laboratory will help support our learning by exposing students to real world marine research.