Team Seas!
This informative article by Shani Grounds will reveal the importance of the organization Team Seas, the science and effort behind it, and why one should donate.
Team Seas!
By Shani Grounds
what is team Seas?
Team Seas, also known as #TeamSeas, is a global campaign to raise 30 million dollars to remove 30 million pounds of trash from the ocean (each dollar equals one pound of trash removed from the ocean) by January 1, 2022. The program first launched on October 29, 2021. The organization is led by former NASA engineer Mark Rober, well-known YouTuber MrBeast (Jimmy), and campaign director Matt Fitzgerald. Team Seas has also partnered with Ocean Conservancy and The Ocean Cleanup, two nonprofit organizations who will split the donations 50/50 in order to carry through with cleanup procedures on beaches, oceans, and rivers. Ocean Conservancy will focus on beaches and oceans, while The Ocean Cleanup will focus on rivers. Team Seas is also the second largest environmental global campaign behind Team Trees (#TeamTrees), which launched in October of 2019 and raised over 20 million dollars, each dollar meaning one tree planted into the earth. Team Trees is still receiving donations every day, even two years after its launch!
why does this matter?
According to Team Seas, there is an estimated 200 million pounds of plastic in oceans and rivers, with about 11 million pounds entering the ocean every year. Plastic in the ocean is extremely harmful towards marine environments. For example, sea turtles are one of few creatures that can eat jellyfish without experiencing the painful effects of the sting, so jellyfish are a big source of food for these turtles. However, it is not uncommon for these turtles to mistake jellyfish for plastic bags. Sea turtles may then consequently die from ingestion of these plastics. Also, microplastics negatively affect animal and human health. Microplastics are created from plastic being broken down into smaller pieces by radiation from the sun or by the pounding of ocean waves. Microplastics have been found in the digestive systems of whales, seafood, and drinking water. This proves that microplastics are hazardous towards humans and marine ecosystems. Evidently, it is important to get rid of as much floating plastic in the ocean as possible before it breaks down, which is exactly what Team Seas aims to accomplish.
how will team seas do it?
It might be an understatement to say that 30 million pounds of trash in the ocean is a large amount. However, Team Seas has collaborated with other organizations to make this cleanup more than possible. Ocean Conservancy oversees the largest beach cleanup network in the world: the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC), which has cleaned up more than 350 million pounds of trash within the span of 35 years. To clean up rivers and to stop trash from entering the ocean from these rivers, Team Seas will fund The Ocean Cleanup’s Interceptors, which are floating trash collectors stationed at different rivers across the world. To clean up open ocean trash, Team Seas will work together with the Ocean Conservancy to remove discarded fishing gear floating around in the ocean, which is one of the most hazardous forms of trash to marine life. This project is called the Global Ghost Gear Initiative.
Whenever possible, Team Seas will make sure that recyclable items, including plastic bottles, cans, and glass, will be separated from other trash and recycled, or will be transported to a proper disposal facility if the plastic is impossible to reprocess. Team Seas urges everyone to reduce the amount of plastic they use, because contaminated plastic is impossible to recycle and will not be accepted.
how can i help?
Spread the message by talking to a friend or family member about it, create any type of art, or post about it on social media. Team Seas is constantly releasing videos and posts on social media to spread awareness about their organization, and they desperately want to reach their goal of 30 million dollars raised by January 1, 2022. They could definitely use some more assistance with the cause. Team Seas has also released merchandise on their official online store. 100% of the profits go towards the effort of cleaning rivers, oceans, and beaches. All merchandise comes in compostable packaging, as well. Support Team Seas and spread the message while looking stylish!
To wrap things up, Team Seas is a respectable organization led by respectable people. Eventually, society would have had to start somewhere with the cleanup of trash. This is it. Team Seas has the tools, resources, and partnerships to accomplish the goal of 30 million dollars raised by January 1, 2022. This is the perfect opportunity to show love and care for this planet and its inhabitants, including both animals and other humans.
videos made by project creators
