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A video with no sound highlighting memorable moments of past First Wednesdays events.

Microplastics: The Little Big Problem

Shelly Moore

Plastics are a versatile, affordable, and long-lasting material that enrich our lives every day. They have essential uses in building and construction, transportation and are used in medical devices that save people’s lives. But the single use plastics that we use for convenience such as plastic bags, food containers and packaging, bottles, and caps, end up in our landfills or as unregulated waste. They can take hundreds of years to break down into microplastic and do not biodegrade. Fibers from textiles and synthetic clothes we wear, break down into tiny microplastic pieces. Even the tires from our cars break down into small particles. These microplastics find their way into our oceans and waterways and food web chain where they dominate our marine debris and become increasingly toxic. Learn about plastics in California and how they impact our environment and our health, and how the industry is investing in recycling and new recovery technologies to help reduce our global pollution and waste.

This presentation with Q&A will take place in the Aquarium’s Honda Pacific Visions theater from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Following the talk, there will be cocktails and other beverages available with music and crafts in the Pacific Visions Art Gallery, where guests can mix and mingle and partake in Paint-a-Fish.

The Aquarium of the Pacific’s First Wednesdays Winter-Spring Season Series 2023 focuses on animals, nature and conservation efforts. The events bring scientists, authors, and other experts into its Honda Pacific Visions Theater for an illustrated talk paired with book signings or meet and greets and cocktail/social hours with music and crafts. The programs are best suited for high school and college students and adults of all ages. Presentations are also live streamed.

TICKETS
Tickets

Click through for information on specific COVID protocols for this event.
DATE
Wednesday
April 5, 2023

7:00–9:00 pm PT
COST
$5.00 per ticket for advance online reservations or $10.00 per ticket on the day of the event at the door (if available). Parking is $6.00 for the first 2.5 hours in the structure located directly across from the Aquarium. Cash bar.

Event Highlights

Woman at bar ordering drinks

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma

Audience member asking questions

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma

Three women at a cocktail table laughing

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma

Man and woman at craft table drawing

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma

Woman at a craft table drawing

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma

Couple at computer station drawing a fish

Credit: Aquarium of the Pacific/Andrew Reitsma

About Our Speaker

Shelly Moore in a wet suit

Shelly Moore is the Executive Director of The Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research and an adjunct professor at Santa Ana Community College. She serves as President of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, whose mission is to promote fellowship between scientists and students. Ms. Moore has more than 29 years’ experience in the water quality field and specializes in microplastics, trash, and marine debris in aquatic environments. She has done research to provide both the regulated and regulator communities with baseline information necessary to determining the efficacy of recent policies and legislation around trash in the environment. She was also part of the 1999 North Pacific Gyre study sample design team. She has served as chair for regional monitoring surveys in Southern California and as for the California Trash Monitoring Workgroup, under the California Water Quality Monitoring Council supported by the California State Water Resources Control Board. She co-led and planned an international workshop on Microplastics Methods, which brought together regulators, experts, and stakeholders to discuss legislative requirements and the most current methods to evaluate microplastics.

EVENT DETAILS

April 5, 2023 7:00–9:00 pm PT
Tickets

Click through for information on specific COVID protocols for this event.
$5.00 per ticket for advance online reservations or $10.00 per ticket on the day of the event at the door (if available). Parking is $6.00 for the first 2.5 hours in the structure located directly across from the Aquarium. Cash bar.
(562) 590-3100
Recommended for Ages 12+
Honda Pacific Visions Theater.

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