Sea life, stuck to plastic bottles and other human trash, has journeyed far from coastal habitats—and may threaten local species
plastics
Posted inNews
Microplastics Are the Not-So-Secret Ingredient in Marine Snow
Particles of tiny, degraded plastics coated with biofilms sink to the seafloor, carrying carbon with them.
Posted inNews
Biodegradable Sensors Could Explore the Seas More Sustainably
Researchers are developing environmentally friendly instruments to monitor the oceans.
Posted inNews
A New Census of Plastic Debris Entering the Ocean
On the basis of thousands of measurements of plastic pollution spotted near coastlines and at sea, researchers estimate that roughly 500 million kilograms of plastic debris is entering the world’s oceans each year.
Posted inNews
Seafloor Plastic Pollution Is Not Going Anywhere
The amount of microplastics at the bottom of the Mediterranean is growing as global production increases and plastic breakdown is halted.
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Even at the Bottom of the World, the Ocean Is Belching Plastic
Plastic fills the air above Auckland, New Zealand.
Posted inFeatures
Fernando Temprano-Coleto: Going with the Flow
A career in fluid mechanics is both intellectually stimulating and well suited to solving environmental problems.
Posted inNews
Remote Sensing Tracks Down “Plastic Plants” in Rivers
Researchers are using remote sensing to track floating mats of plastic trapped in water hyacinth plants.
Posted inNews
Microscopic Hitchhikers Found on Deep-Sea Plastic
Are bacteria hailing a ride on plastic 2,000 meters deep?
Posted inNews
The Alps Are Dusted with Nanoplastics
A new study finds the lofted pollutants came from major European cities, but further study is required to fully understand the plastics’ transport and deposition processes.