Thursday, July 18, 2013

Meet the researcher!

        My name is Blake R. Rupe and I am a Master of Arts candidate at the University of Iowa.  Here I am at the beginning of this research study standing on the shore of study site number 1.  I study international marine conservation and my main focus is on marine debris and garbage along the coastal zone of Mexico's Gulf coast.  I completed this research study in Heroica Veracruz from May to July, 2013, in an effort to truly understand the garbage presence situation along the coasts of this incredible city.  I was drawn to study Veracruz because near the shores of the city is one of the most beautiful collections of coral reefs that I have ever seen.  These reefs are protected by the government, but this does not include preventing these ecosystems from an influx of floating garbage and debris, especially plastics. As you will see in the pictures below, garbage in the coastal zone of this city is at extreme levels.   In the weeks I was there, I collected over 1,800 pounds of garbage.  I was able to include the data from this research study in my Master's thesis, which analyzed the policies Mexico has adopted internationally and nationally that is supposed to keep coastal zones clean and prevent hazards from important, biodiverse ecosystems like the coral reefs of Veracruz. With this research, I was able to show that the policies Mexico has enacted nationally and internationally have in fact not trickled down to the local level, meaning that the coastal zones are not adequately protected by legislation alone.  Instead, it will take the cooperation and initiative of local stakeholders that rely on clean, healthy oceans to promote a reduction in garbage and marine debris in an effort to maintain these important ecosystems for future generations.  To read the full study or the policy analysis thesis, check out my LinkedIn page here: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/blake-rupe/65/681/596 or email me at blake.rupe@gmail.com.

Monday, July 1, 2013

What is the importance of studying garbage presence in marine environments? These pictures might give you some clues.

Garbage floating in a mass of organic marine materials.  Notice the pipe on the right.

Floating for now, but doomed to sink and become suspended in the water column. 
The only two garbage receptacles on the 1.06 miles of shore in my study area.

Residents and visitors alike often asked to help in the collection and analysis of this project, commonly commenting on how much they wished the beaches were cleaner.  I enjoyed teaching them how to properly quantify and classify each collected item! 

If these items remained, they would indubitably be swept into the ocean at high tide.

Recycling receptacles existed, as seen here.  Yet, they were few and far in-between, not to mention not placed in the most highly trafficked areas.  A simple foot-traffic study could be conducted and presented to the city of Veracruz to request placing these receptacles in more effective locations.

Collection site number 3, one of the most difficult sites.  The rocks were incredibly porous, allowing garbage to fall in between cracks.  It became difficult to tell what was garbage in certain areas where construction materials such as tile flooring were disposed of and weathered, appearing like surrounding rocks. 

How many quarts of oil can you spot?

If you are enjoying a beer with your feet in the water, remember to recycle your containers!

How many plastic items can you spot?


Location of collection site number 3, a rocky and sandy shore combination.  This site was interesting, as I expected the quantity to be fairly low.  This was not the case. 

The bottom of a glass beer bottle that is being sunken into the sand near shore.  The entire beer bottle is submerged, yet it was completely intact.  There have been no studies done in Mexico on the amount of garbage buried in sand to date.  The research is much needed, as there is no way to know how organisms in this environment are reacting to this influx of materials. 


How much garbage can you see present on the beach during this beach day?

Plastic bags and plastic materials suspended in the very shallow water column.

Plastic bag suspended in a deeper water column. 

A rubber tire caught between two rocks approximately six feet from the low tide line.  Notice the condition of the rubber. It is very warn and looks as it has been decomposing.  How long do you think it has been stuck between these two rocks? 

I like to think of this picture as the ocean regurgitating the debris and garbage in it, returning it to humans. Waves threw this garbage pile out of the ocean and back onto the boardwalk. 

One of the garbage cans.

This beachgoer enjoyed wine and spirits during their visit. 

A lone wine bottle, perhaps left behind by tweens playing a game of "Spin the Bottle" before their parents picked them up. 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

What does it mean when I say "garbage presence" in coastal zones? Take a look!

Six ring plastic holder, plastic cup, plastic bag

One night of fun, hundreds of years in the ocean

A popular boardwalk on a Monday morning

The morning after a storm.  Notice the blue oil container and overturned boat.

Plastic, styrofoam, wood flotsam.

Microdebris floating in the water column.

Birds looking for a tasty treat. Let's hope they don't mistake any of these plastics for food!

The location of study site number 1, with residents and visitors swimming in the ocean. Notice the garbage and lack of receptacle for the visitors to this beach!

Microplastics accumulating at the shoreline!

So many pieces of polymers, styrofoam, and other non-natural materials.

Garbage being swept away with the tide.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Meet Pedro Garcia-Gonzalez, recycler extraordinaire.

This is Pedro Garcia-Gonzalez, a man who walks the coasts of Veracruz city collecting plastic and glass bottles.  He returns the materials he collects to a recycling center, where they pay him dismally for them.  He was excited to share his story with me because he wanted me to be aware that the amount of garbage in Mexico existed for a reason: there is not enough incentive to collect the recyclable materials and return them to the recycling center 8 miles inland.  According to Pedro, the amount of work it takes to do this is not worth how much he gets paid, but his options are limited.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Microplastics accumulating on the shoreline

Microplastics accumulating at the shoreline, June 2013.  Notice the numerous plastic bottle caps, which take hundreds of years to decompose.  Marine life commonly mistakes these plastics for food, causing health and safety problems.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Will oceans remember humans long after they are gone? With some of these materials, they just might.

The beautiful Gulf of Mexico and Port of Veracruz.  


The writing on the rocks tells of how human want their presence to be remembered when they go.  With this box of beer bottles, they will be remembered in more ways than one. 

A boat, unable to be used, is left behind for natural processes to weather until it is no more. 

The yellow plastic runner from the side of a boat shows that debris is not only left by humans visiting the shorelines, but also by distant humans in the open sea. 

No need for cigarette boxes when the cigarettes are all gone. 

Plastic construction tubing. 

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Water quality along the coast of Veracruz, Veracruz. Has water quality suffered from increased water pollution?

Dissolved Oxygen saturation levels, here showing at roughly 4 ppm, combined with a water temperature of 30 degrees Celsius puts the levels of dissolved oxygen at 51% saturation.  On a scale of 1-4, where 4 is excellent, 3 is good, 2 is fair, and 1 is poor, this is a 2, meaning the water quality in this category is fair 

Nitrate levels came in at about 5 parts per million (ppm).  On a scale of 1-4, where 4 is excellent, 3 is good, 2 is fair, and 1 is poor, this is a 2, meaning the water quality in this category is fair.

pH level on this day was tested at about 6.  On a scale of 1-4, where 4 is excellent, 3 is good, 2 is fair, and 1 is poor, this is a 3, meaning the water quality in this category is good. 

The tests for phosphate showed that there were about 1 part per million of phosphate in this sample.  On a scale of 1-4, where 4 is excellent, 3 is good, 2 is fair, and 1 is poor, this is a 4, meaning the water quality in this category is excellent. 

Water turbidity was surprisingly good in Veracruz.  Here, the result was between 0 and 40 JTU (Jackson Turbidity Units).  On a scale of 1-4, where 4 is excellent, 3 is good, 2 is fair, and 1 is poor, this is between a 3 and 4, meaning the water quality in this category is good to excellent.