PLASTIC, AHOY! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a new 48 page Junior Library Guild Selection book, lets you discover the journey of three graduate students turned trash detectives as they journey to the North Pacific Gyre on a scientific adventure to discover what lies below the surface of an area of our ocean more commonly known as the great pacific garbage patch. In full-color, you will experience what it is like to be out at sea for 20 days with no land in sight. Plastic Ahoy! written by award winning author Patricia Newman including exclusive footage captured by award winning photographer and educator, Annie Crawley. (ISBN-13: 978-1467712835; ASIN: 1467712833; $30.65; Grades 3-8) Plastic Ahoy is available now at your local independent retailer, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iTunes, or order a personalized copy directly from photographer Annie Crawley.

Plastic: it’s used to make everything from drink bottles and bags to toys and toothbrushes. But what happens when it ends up where it doesn’t belong—like in the Pacific Ocean? How does it affect ocean life? Is it dangerous? And exactly how much is out there? Meet a team of researchers, crew, and volunteers who together with photographer Annie Crawley sailed one thousand miles into the open ocean to find out. They explored the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where millions of pieces of plastic have collected from rivers, beaches, and ocean traffic all over the world. Most of it has broken down into tiny pieces the size of confetti.

For nearly three weeks at sea, researchers gathered bits of plastic and ocean organisms. Their samples helped them learn more about the effects of plastic in the ocean. Using the scientific method the researchers observed, developed hypotheses, and created experiments. Follow along on the expedition to find out how scientists studied the Garbage Patch—and what alarming discoveries they made.

PLASTIC, AHOY! Focuses on three of the scientists aboard the Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition, SEAPLEX. Expedition leader Miriam Goldstein created SEAPLEX and invited other scientists to join including Chelsea Rochman, and Darcy Taniguchi, who wanted to answer important questions with their research. The scientists found more than they were looking for including giant squid, hitchhikers, vampire squid, and other incredible deep sea creatures.

This new title by Patricia Newman and Annie Crawley shares a complex environmental issue of the world plastic problem with the home and school market to inspire change in our relationship with how we use plastic.
Scripps Institute of Oceanography sponsored the SEAPLEX graduate students. Project Kaisei also helped fund SEAPLEX and sponsored photographer Annie Crawley to document the expedition. Project Kaisei teamed up with tech company Ojingo Labs. They shared their expeditions with the world in real time through video blogging and a voyage tracker created with Google Earth. Project Kaisei was named a Google Earth Hero for its work. Annie and Patricia currently are working on a series of blogs, articles, and events from February 2014 culminating June 8 for World Ocean Day. They are available for interviews, speaking, community, and school events.

Says Annie: “One of the greatest things about scuba diving is discovering and filming behavior of animals underwater. Heading out to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was one of the most important journeys I have had as a documentarian and photojournalist. We sailed a thousand miles out to sea and found people’s plastic footprint. We need now more than ever for children to love our ocean because we protect what we love. We need to change our relationship with how we view and use single use plastic.”

Teacher resources available now. A playlist called Project Kaisei Seaplex Expedition The Garbage Patch is available on www.YouTube.com/AnnieCrawley

Annie Crawley, CEO of Dive Into Your Imagination, has spent the past 20 years living and working around the world.  As an award winning producer, photographer and motivational speaker, Annie photographs and produces programs about life on our planet, specializing in our ocean. Trained as a journalist, with a corporate as well as a non-profit background, her recent work includes books, educator guides, DVDs, films, cartoon characters from the Adventures of Ocean Annie series, and a series of eBooks designed for the iPad® available on the iBookstore. Annie is a member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame and is the Camp Director of Beach Camp at Sunset Bay in Edmonds, WA. As the founder of Dive Into Your Imagination, her mission is to promote an understanding about ecological systems to create a sustainable human relationship for a healthy Ocean. Dive Into Your Imagination is changing the way the next generation views the ocean and themselves. Annie is available for interviews and speaking engagements. Contact us today. Phone: 805-453-1947

www.AnnieCrawley.com Call:  805-453-1947 or Annie at AnnieCrawley dot com

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