The Natural History Museum reports: Deep-sea sediments are accumulating tiny fragments of plastic in surprisingly high concentrations, scientists have discovered. The accumulations represent a previously unknown repository of global plastic waste. Marine plastic debris in surface waters and coastal sediments… Read More ›
Plastic is the most pervasive pollutant in the ocean today. But researchers have struggled to estimate just how much of the 6 billion tons of plastic that has been manufactured since the mid-20th century ultimately winds up in the ocean…. Read More ›
“Microbeads have only been around for the last decade. There’s significant indications that the L.A. River is affected and there’s evidence that it’s already finding their way to our aquifers,” says Bloom.
“Every beach surveyed we found beach litter on. Northumbria University sampled a random litre of sand and found over ten thousand microscopic plastic particles present. Litter is being found consistently in sea bed surveys – all the way out as far out as the continental shelf – over a million seabirds and a hundred thousand sea mammals will die every year from ingestion and entanglement. We need to reduce the amount of marine litter by 50%.”
Marine life can potentially choke on plastics but researchers from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) have said tests show toxins absorbed by plastic are transferred to the animal that ingests it. Professor Richard Banati has chartered… Read More ›
Editor’s Note: Captain Charles Moore recently completed the most recent research tour “Gyre Voyage 2014.” The following is a reduced version of the blog Captain Moore posted August 15, 2014. To read the entire blog click this link: Final Blog… Read More ›
With 10-20 tons of plastic entering our oceans every year, the dire results are now obvious. This video showcases the latest statistics and data about how plastics are choking our seas, and likely us.
We know that Australia’s waters contain lots of tiny pieces of plastic, and that these pieces can harm many marine species. But in new research published today we show that these microplastics are also home to marine life, some of… Read More ›
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 ›
Neptune 911! 