AMNH Presents 'The Great Pacific Garbage Dump' with Dr. Marcus Eriksen 3/14

Join Dr. Eriksen, director of research and education at California's Algalita Marine Research Foundation, as he discusses the severe impact of plastic marine pollution in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Learn about the research he conducted on his voyages, see samples of the plastic debris he discovered, and find out what you can do to help solve the world-wide problem of plastic waste.

In 2008 Marcus Eriksen sailed 2,600 miles from California to Hawaii on a raft made from 15,000 plastic bottles to raise awareness of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. He recently returned from a voyage through the Sargasso Sea, researching plastic debris trapped in the rotating North Atlantic gyre in the Atlantic Ocean.

Moderating the afternoon will be Eugenia Naro-Maciel, marine biodiversity scientist at the Museum's Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (CBC), who will discuss her own research on the effects of pollution on sea turtles. Wildlife expert Jarod Miller will have live animals threatened by plastic debris.

'The Great Pacific Garbage Dump' discussion will take place Sunday, March 14, noon-4 pm in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life, first floor of The American Museum of Natural History, located at Central Park West, 79th Street, New York, NY, 10024-5192.

Admission to this event is free with Museum Admission. Suggested general admission is $16 for adults and $9 for children (2-12). Seniors/Students with ID tickets are $12. Both adult and child members may enter free. The Museum is open daily from 10AM-5:45PM. For additional information, call 212-769-5100. For more information on the discussion and on the museum itself, visit http://www.amnh.org/.