Jun 18, 2014 Issues: Environment WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced legislation, the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2014, that would prohibit the sale or distribution of personal care products that contain synthetic plastic microbeads. These small… Read More ›
IBTimes UK looks at the most polluted oceans areas and seas in the world. Atlantic Ocean – Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone The Gulf of Mexico is a basin in the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the gulf coast of the… Read More ›
“Marine debris casts its ominous shadow and threatens to break the virtuous circle which would otherwise guarantee sustainable livelihoods and incentives to protect wildlife.”
The majority of the pieces, 54 percent, were rayon, a manmade material created out of cellulose and used to make clothing, cigarette butts, disposable diapers and other personal-hygiene products, among other consumer goods. The rest were pieces of various other types of polymers — polyester, nylon, polypropylene, polystyrene, acrylic and polyethylene. Identifying the tiny pieces fell largely to Thompson, whose research has focused on marine debris, Obbard said.
Story by Charmaine Coimbra The diminutive Dr. Chelsea Rochman shared a big fish story. She reeled in tiny Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) for research, and landed big results–results that could change the way we consume and what we eat. She calls it “the… Read More ›
What’s more concerning is that plastic has been found to act like a sort of sponge, concentrating toxic chemicals that are diluted in oceans and lakes. Such toxins include heavy metals and chemicals that have long been banned, such as DDT or PCBs, that can have severe environmental effects and are known to cause cancer and birth defects.
What seemed like a landfill of plastic in kelp, catapulted me into photographic obsession (about 200 frames shot). I lost track of time while I stooped and bent my body to find the right way to capture this polyester moment. Eventually several curious people asked “ What are you photographing?”
BOB CHAMBERLIN / Los Angeles Times Students from the University of San Diego bring up a water-collection device to gather minuscule pieces that make up the plastisphere, a result of decades of plastic pollution. OFF THE COAST OF SAN DIEGO… Read More ›
by Jessica Aldred Tiny bits of plastic rubbish ingested by marine worms is significantly harming their health and will have wider impact on ocean ecosystems, scientists have found.Microplastic particles, measuring less than 5mm in size, have been accumulating in the… Read More ›
The fish, which are found in the ocean’s gyres, come to the surface to feed at night, where they ingest the plastic particles which resemble the size of their usual prey.
Several samples of the myctophids uncovered significant loads of plastic the size of appropriate particles inside the guts of the animal.
“We believe these organisms may hold part of the response to where is the plastic going, because … they are the dominant species in the gyres of the ocean.”
Neptune 911! 