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Surprising Science — January 31, 2015

Aquarium Exhibit Explores How Marine Debris Can Produce Clean Energy

Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut has teamed with Covanta Energy Corporation to explore the ways marine waste can be turned into clean energy.

Robert Montenegro

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A prominent New England aquarium has teamed with a local energy corporation to produce an interactive exhibit exploring the latter’s efforts to curb oceanic pollution by turning it into clean energy. Mystic Aquarium, located in Connecticut, unveiled the new Covanta Cove earlier this week. Named for the aforementioned energy company, the exhibit offers visitors the chance to see how the waste-to-energy process works in a nearby power plant. Joe Wojtas of local paper The Day has the scoop:

“During Thursday’s ribbon cutting, Katie Cubina, the aquarium’s senior vice president for mission programs, said the exhibit and partnership with Covanta ties in with the aquarium’s mission to protect the world’s oceans.

Andy Wood, the aquarium’s senior vice president of external affairs, added that the aquarium hopes the exhibit will ‘raise awareness and spur action.’

Paul Gilman, Covanta’s senior vice president and chief sustainability officer, said the firm has been approached about the marine debris problem and came up with the idea to turn it into energy.”

The exhibit seems like a pretty effective piece of corporate outreach merged with Mystic’s ongoing efforts to educate about marine pollution.

Read more at The Day and Mystic Aquarium.

Photo credit: Richard Whitcombe / Shutterstock

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