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💡 CE: Chapter Meeting: “Understanding Marine Debris in Virginia: Sources and Solutions”
November 20 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
NOTE: Schedule for this meeting is: 5:00 pm social time; 5:30 business meeting; 6:00 pm speaker. Also, we will be voting to approve Chapter bylaws and elect new treasurer.
All 2024 speaker meetings will be the third Wednesday of every other month at Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) Eastern Shore Laboratory, Seaside Hall, 40 Atlantic Street, Wachapreague. Note that per VIMS you may park on Atlantic Avenue along the yellow curbs.
November Speaker: Christina Trapani will discuss “Understanding Marine Debris in Virginia: Sources and Solutions.”
Speaker Bio: Christina Trapani moved to Virginia Beach from Rhode Island in 1995 after receiving her degree in Business Management from Western Carolina University. She worked with stranded sea turtles and marine mammals with the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program for about 12 years, where she witnessed the impacts of marine debris on the animals she worked with and the beaches she worked on. She led her first International Coastal Cleanup in 2002 and in 2008 started Eco Maniac Company, a retail business that offers reusable alternatives to single-use plastics.
After leaving the Aquarium in 2013, Christina started working as a marine debris researcher and consultant to organizations such as the Virginia Aquarium and Clean Virginia Waterways. She’s been involved in several litter research, prevention and education projects in Virginia including a statewide marine debris monitoring program, a balloon litter monitoring program, a cigarette litter prevention program, and a litter prevention and education program called Keep It Beachy Clean.
In August of 2024, Christina became the Executive Director of Clean Virginia Waterways and is looking forward to this new role and all the new opportunities to help solve the issue of plastic pollution. Christina also enjoys working part-time as a naturalist on dolphin and whale watching boats in Virginia Beach, paddleboarding, casual bike rides and hanging out with her partner, Eric and dog, Mr. Brown.
Suggested read-aheads: Balloon Litter on Virginia’s Remote Beaches and Virginia Marine Debris Reduction Plan