According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, The plastic trash in the world's seas and oceans could further negatively impact the U.S. fishing industry through its poisoning of the marine food chain. Since data quantifying plastic's pervasive present is currently not available we are using two simlar agricultural events to emulate the possible affect that this pollution might have on the fishing industry. These scenarios are the 2006 outbreak of e.coli in spinach for the state of Texas and the 2008 outbreak of salmonella for the state of Georgia.

On September 16, 2006, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention informed the Food and Drug Association that an e.coli outbreak had occurred. The outbreak resulted in 205 illnesses, 3 deaths, and spread to 26 states. This chart, calculated by Center for North American Studies staff using IMPLAN 2004, shows the economic effect this outbreak had on the Texas spinach industry; costing it a total of $11 billion. This is relevant to our topic because plastic pollution could have the same detrimental effect on the fishing industry as the E. coli outbreak had on the spinach industry.



In 2008, the Food and Drug Association issued a nationwide warning to consumers about the Salmonella outbreak being linked to the consumption of raw tomatoes. Not only did the diminished production of tomatoes affect the tomato industry but it also affected other related industries, such as: financial, construction, transportation, and manufacturing companies. This shows how a damaged fish industry might affect other industries resulting in an economic depression.

Our adviser, Michael Friend, noted in an email dated February 22nd, that "The danger and potential for a marine ecological disaster is even greater than the examples of food-borne contamination in an agricultural system. Unlike the agricultural model, the ocean’s species are all linked in a complex tiered chain. Any disruption to a critical species can have widespread impact not only on that species, but on the entire chain. The potential for major loss of employment in fishing and related sectors increases dramatically as the impact of pollution-caused damage spreads up and down the marine food chain." "As the world’s population increases, stress on agricultural resources continues to build. It will become increasingly difficult to sustain sufficient food production to meet total world demand. As a result, dependence on well-managed marine systems as a food resource will increase. Part of the overall strategy for responsible management must and will be pollution control in the oceans. As the balance of food production shifts from agriculture to marine systems, employment in all related sectors will grow. A well-developed pollution control initiative will help to reduce the risk of marine system collapse, with resulting loss of employment. At the same time, the initiative will produce new sources of employment in fishing, marine resource management, and waste management." As any form of pollution increases and its environmental ramifications are regulated, industries emerge to meet world need for technical standards and cleanup. One such example is ONET technologies The ONET group offers advanced solutions in various aspects of nuclear engineering. Their services range from nuclear and chemical cleanup to nuclear safety. Companies that form the ONET group are incorporated in Spain, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Italy. The following companies involved with Onet specialize in all aspects of nuclear engineering: Comex Nucleaire, Onectra, Sogedec, and Techman Industrie. Onet’s statistics from 2005-2007, depicted below, illustrate that their net gain is slowly increasing and that their net debt is generally decreasing. These statistics indicate that the pollution control industry is going through a period of expansion.
Images courtesy of ONET

Image courtesy of the University of Plymouth Image courtesy of the University of Plymouth Marine Institute The School of Marine Science and Engineering at the University of Plymouth is one of the largest in Europe and offers teaching and research in four main subject groups:civil and coastal engineering, marine biology, marine sciences, and mechanical and marine engineering. The University of Plymouth's Marine Institute was formed to consolidate efforts to create innovative solutions to challenging problems regarding the ocean and coasts. Their aim is to create an environment where students can learn and research marine sciences, foster an atmosphere for innovative ocean-related problem solving, and to enhance and create more connections with partners who share their same ideals. C160 — BSc (Hons) Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology This degree course is unique in the UK in that it takes a cross-system approach to the study of marine ecology, encouraging students to compare marine systems with other ecosystem types within a global context. Such an approach is highly relevant considering the large-scale nature of the current threats to coastal ecosystems. Threats to the coastal zone will also impinge on associated habitats such as freshwaters, estuaries, salt marshes and sand dunes - providing you with an understanding of these systems alongside a knowledge of marine systems that adds an important extra dimension to your ecological expertise. CF17 — BSc (Hons) Marine Biology and Oceanography This is an inter-disciplinary course, providing an in-depth study of the biological, physical and chemical processes that occur in the marine environment. The course covers both theoretical and practical aspects enabling you to acquire skills relevant to the challenges facing marine scientists in the new millennium. The aim of the course is to develop an integrated understanding of the processes that operate within the oceans and the life that we find there. F700 — BSc (Hons) Ocean Science Discover the science behind the behaviour of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere and how these systems influence and interact with human activity. Topics currently include physical oceanography; coastal processes; meteorology and climatology; underwater sound and light; remote sensing; biological oceanography; marine pollution and conservation; sustainable management and scientific diving (limited places). F710 — BSc (Hons) Environmental Science (Marine Conservation) Ranked 'excellent' for the quality of its teaching, the School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences offers one of the longest-running, largest courses of its type in Europe offering a wide range of choice within the course. It is one of the few courses that combines physico-chemical, biological and cultural sciences within an interdisciplinary framework. There is a strong emphasis on offering solutions to environmental problems through an international approach. J600 — BSc (Hons) Marine and Composites Technology This course allows the development of knowledge and skills in key aspects of marine technology, particularly in naval architecture (the structure of marine vessels), marine engineering (marine plant and ship systems) and composites technology (advanced materials). Engineering design forms a strong theme throughout the course. This accredited degree can open doors to exciting careers in the marine industry. J610 — BEng (Hons) Marine Technology This course develops the two key areas in marine technology: naval architecture and marine engineering. It offers a broad engineering and design education to prepare you for a rewarding career in the marine industry. Accredited by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects it will give you an excellent start towards Chartered Engineer status.

Image courtesy of the MIT Image courtesy of the MIT Open Courseware MIT's School of Mechanical Engineering has a wide variety of applications in the real world. This program provides students with the quantitative, problem-solving, design, and communication skills necessary to excel in this field.1 Currently students enrolled in Mechanical Engineering can participate in such projects as nanoengineering, creating miniature robots, and designing 3-D nanostructures.2 2.25 — Advanced Fluid Mechanics This course surveys the principal concepts and methods of fluid dynamics. Topics include mass conservation, momentum, and energy equations for continua, the Navier-Stokes equation for viscous flows, similarity and dimensional analysis, lubrication theory, boundary layers and separation, circulation and vorticity theorems, potential flow, an introduction to turbulence, lift and drag, surface tension and surface tension driven flows. The class assumes students have had one prior undergraduate class in the area of fluid mechanics. Emphasis is placed on being able to formulate and solve typical problems of engineering importance. 2.011 — Introduction of Ocean Science and Engineering This course is an introduction to the fundamental aspects of science and engineering necessary for exploring, observing, and utilizing the oceans. Hands-on projects focus on instrumentation in the marine environment and the design of ocean observatories for ocean monitoring and exploration. Topics include acoustics, sound speed and refraction, sounds generated by ships and marine animals, sonar systems and their principles of operation, hydrostatic behavior of floating and submerged bodies geared towards ocean vehicle design, stability of ocean vessels, and the application of instrumentation and electronics in the marine environment. Students work with sensor systems and deploy them in the field to gather and analyze real world data. 13.012 — Hydrodynamics This course covers the development of the fundamental equations of fluid mechanics and their simplifications for several areas of marine hydrodynamics and the application of these principles to the solution of engineering problems. Topics include the principles of conservation of mass, momentum and energy, lift and drag forces, laminar and turbulent flows, dimensional analysis, added mass, and linear surface waves, including wave velocities, propagation phenomena, and descriptions of real sea waves. Wave forces on structures are treated in the context of design and basic seakeeping analysis of ships and offshore platforms. Geophysical fluid dynamics will also be addressed including distributions of salinity, temperature, and density; heat balance in the ocean; major ocean circulations and geostrophic flows; and the influence of wind stress. Experimental projects conducted in ocean engineering laboratories illustrating concepts taught in class, including ship resistance and model testing, lift and drag forces on submerged bodies, and vehicle propulsion. 13.021 — Marine Hydrodynamics In this course the fundamentals of fluid mechanics are developed in the context of naval architecture and ocean science and engineering. The various topics covered are: Transport theorem and conservation principles, Navier-Stokes' equation, dimensional analysis, ideal and potential flows, vorticity and Kelvin's theorem, hydrodynamic forces in potential flow, D'Alembert's paradox, added-mass, slender-body theory, viscous-fluid flow, laminar and turbulent boundary layers, model testing, scaling laws, application of potential theory to surface waves, energy transport, wave/body forces, linearized theory of lifting surfaces, and experimental project in the towing tank or propeller tunnel. 13.022 — Ocean Wave Interaction with Ships and Offshore Energy Systems The subject introduces the principles of ocean surface waves and their interactions with ships, offshore platforms and advanced marine vehicles. Surface wave theory is developed for linear and nonlinear deterministic and random waves excited by the environment, ships, or floating structures. Following the development of the physics and mathematics of surface waves, several applications from the field of naval architecture and offshore engineering are addressed. They include the ship Kelvin wave pattern and wave resistance, the interaction of surface waves with floating bodies, the seakeeping of ships high-speed vessels and offshore platforms, the evaluation of the drift forces and other nonlinear wave effects responsible for the slow-drift responses of compliant offshore platforms and their mooring systems designed for hydrocarbon recovery from large water depths. 13.42 — Design Principles for Ocean Vehicles The course covers the basic techniques for evaluating the maximum forces and loads over the life of a marine structure or vehicle, so as to be able to design its basic configuration. Loads and motions of small and large structures and their short-term and long-term statistics are studied in detail and many applications are presented in class and studied in homework and laboratory sessions. Issues related to seakeeping of ships are studied in detail. The basic equations and issues of maneuvering are introduced at the end of the course. Three laboratory sessions demonstrate the phenomena studied and provide experience with experimental methods and data processing.

Due to the critical importance of plastic and its properties to our project, we have included a third undergraduate program specializing in the science of polymers. Image courtesy of the Ferris State University The Ferris State University states that its plastics program is the largest and most respected undergraduate program in the United States. Started in 1982, it strives to fill the plastics industry's need technically trained personnel. According to SPI, in America, about 1.1 million people work in plastics, making it our 3rd-largest manufacturing industry. Classes include topics in "processing, material testing and properties, and mold and product design" and emphasize hands-on learning with industry-standard equipment. MECH 340 — Statics-Strength of Materials Statics and strength of materials is a part of physics known as mechanics: forces, components, resultants, equilibrium, friction, centroids, and stress/strain relationships. Dynamics will be introduced. Covers strength of materials; the concepts of stress and strain, axial stress and deformation, thermal stress and deformation, stress concentrations, factor of safety, torsional stress and deformation, beam stresses, combined stress, riveted joints, welded joints, and Mohr's circle. PLTS 100 — Survey Plastics-Elastomer Tech with basic concepts of Plastics and Elastomer Technology. Students will become familiar with history, basic materials, application/design, processing, markets, and future of Plastics and Elastomer Technology. No previous background in the subject required. PLTS 223 — Testing-Physical Property Demonstrates the concepts of procedures used in evaluating both theoretical and practical plastic materials, and molded parts. Standard testing methods used for evaluation of plastic materials, in particular ASTM and ISO. Interpretation of testing results with respect to raw materials selection, processing parameters, and part design considerations. Basic quality control/quality assurance techniques related to plastics testing. PLTS 321 — Advanced Injection Molding A theoretical approach to injection molding. Plastics processing is examined from a molecular perspective. Various engineering plastics are described in rheological terms of flow response to forces applied. Advanced troubleshooting and process optimization is dealt with in terms of process monitoring and cavity pressure sensing. Varying process parameters, cycle times, and moisture are evaluated for their effects on the final parts. Various types of injection molding techniques are introduced. PLTS 342 — Plastic Material Demonstrates the procedures one should follow to select plastics for an application. Major plastics fabrication techniques and the main plastics design ""rules of thumb"" are reviewed. Classwork covers plastics failure mechanisms and weakness which plastics materials exhibit. Emphasis is on plastics materials, specifications, economics, and historical application areas. PLTS 361 — Plastics Composites The student will be introduced to all aspects of composite materials including: (1) History of Composites/Future of Composites, (2) Composite Materials, (3) Composite Processing, (4) Use and Applications of Composites, (5) Composite Issues (Design, Cost, Environmental). This course provides the student with an understanding of the effects of combining other materials with plastics to produce composite materials. The practical applications of plastics composite materials are stressed to emphasize the value of plastics composite products.

Our graduate program, Mechanical Engineering Solutions for Ocean Environments (MESOE), will prepare students to design equipment and structures for the use in an ocean environment; focusing on developing new techniques for research and devising new solutions to for our future and current problems in using and maintaining our oceans. Students entering into this program should have a strong background in Engineering and/or Oceanography.

During student's second year they will participate in a full-time internship in order to fulfill their graduate program requirements. The internship will culminate in a thesis report representing orignal research in an area of their choice. Students will participate along side their professors developing improvements in data collection, mitigation of pollution, or analysis of collected data.

Engineering Students	Oceanography Students
Fundamental Chemistry of the Ocean Environment Corrosive agents in Ocean Environments Fundamentals of Ocean Ecology Analysis of Global Currents and Wind Systems Differential Analysis of Centralized Current Systems Impacts of Geological Events on the Ocean Environment Analysis of Periodic Variations on Ocean Conditions Fundamentals of Long term Trends in an Ocean Environment	Statistical Modeling of Discrete Data Impact Modeling of Multi-Variable Systems Analysis of Structural Design Basic Understanding of Statics & Dynamics Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals in Hydrodynamics Advanced Studies Hydrodynamics across Control Surfaces Material Science in the Ocean Environment
Electives
Fundamentals of Sonar Advanced Studies of Plastic Composition	Fundamentals of Marine Biology Advanced Naval Architecture
Year Two
Study the movement, distribution and collection of plastic and other pollution in ocean gyres Study the transportation of pollution and contamination by local tributary to the oceans Study the contamination of lakes and their tributaries by toxins and other pollutants along with their impact on the ecosystems Study the eviromental impact of offshore oil platforms along with the development and use of new technologies to reduce there environmental foot print

In an email dated February 28, 2010, Miriam Goldstein stated