Ms. Politz’s Honors Marine Science classes recently partnered with the ANGARI Foundation to take part in their 14th Lagoon Drift Project. This citizen science initiative tracks how water currents and marine debris move through local waterways, such as the Lake Worth Lagoon.
The project, organized by the ANGARI Foundation in collaboration with partners including Manatee Lagoon and other community organizations, uses eco-friendly wooden “drift cards” to simulate how pollutants travel and accumulate. Each drift card is biodegradable and has been uniquely designed before being released into the water.In October, a representative from the ANGARI Foundation visited Cardinal Newman to introduce the Lagoon Drift Project and explain its scientific and environmental importance. Building on what students had been studying in class about ocean currents, Ms. Politz integrated the project into their coursework, giving them a hands-on opportunity to apply their knowledge. Students decorated their individual drift cards with creative designs and environmental messages before heading to Manatee Lagoon on November 7 for the official card release.
“This project has been a great way to engage students in a conversation about human impacts on the environment, including plastic pollution and other types of marine debris and the effects they have on marine life,” said Ms. Christine Politz, CNHS Science Chair and Teacher.
Now the experiment continues with community support. If you find a drift card inshore or offshore along the east coast of Florida, please keep it and report the location, date, and time found, along with photos of the card, to lagoondrift@angari.org. For more information, visit drift card instructions.
To see the data and reports from this and previous Lagoon Drift experiments, visit angari.org/lagoondrift-data.
