Month: February 2018

This plastic bottle is one of the many items of plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean along with huge amounts of microplastic
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15-Year Study Indicates Huge Increase in Pacific Ocean Microplastic

Results show rapid increase in microplastic in the oceans.

Charles Moore, who first sailed the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch in 1997, has returned five times over 15 years to document the concentrations of plastic in the ocean.  His results show microplastics are accumulating at a rapid rate.

In 1997, sailboat captain Charles Moore sailed from Hawaii across the Pacific Ocean, taking a shortcut to his home port of Los Angeles after a sailing race. As he cut across the then-seldom-sailed stretch of ocean – the swirling North Pacific Gyre – he came upon an enormous accumulation of plastic trash and made it famous. He helped captured the public’s imagination around the problem of marine plastic pollution by writing about the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.”

In February, two decades after his discovery, he reported a seemingly dramatic 60-fold increase in the tiny pieces of microplastic during his 15 years of study of the now-infamous ocean area. From 1999 to 2014, he and a team of researchers regularly returned to 11 sites across this area with Algalita, the nonprofit he founded, scooping up plastic samples using a manta trawl from Moore’s research catamaran in an attempt to quantify change in plastic over time.

His findings, he said in a press conference at the American Geophysical Union’s 2018 Ocean Sciences meeting in Portland, Oregon, show that the tiny pieces of microplastic floating on the surface of the North Pacific Gyre have increased from 331,809 pieces per square kilometer counted in 1999 to 19,912,037 counted in 2014. This estimate is unique as there are no long-term studies documenting microplastic concentration increases in the North Pacific Gyre. That’s because scientists need an enormous number of samples to come to any conclusion about how concentrations change over time.

     

Moore’s research ship, Alguita, returns with these samples after four months in the North Pacific Ocean. Algalita Marine Research and Education has been studying ocean plastic pollution since 1999. Long Beach, CA, USA. (Citizen of the Planet/Education Images/UIG via Getty Images)

However, there is also plenty of uncertainty in making these kinds of estimates. The center of the North Pacific’s swirling mass of water, which holds the highest plastic concentration, appears to be shifting over time, making accurate sampling more challenging. At the meeting, Moore clicked through slides of the North Pacific Gyre, modeled by Nikolai Maximenko and Jan Hafner at the University of Hawaii. The slides showed that the large gyre has a concentrated center that has shifted over time closer to the California coast.

“The gyre is not a static place and what our hypothesis is … was the amount of plastic sampled depends on how far it is from the moving center of the Garbage Patch,” Moore said. The results of his research will be published later this year.

While the North Pacific Gyre is commonly referred to as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” now Moore and other scientists like to describe the area instead as a soup filled with various-sized pieces of plastic debris. Although the patch is certainly enormous, its exact size is difficult to pinpoint because it is always shifting between the coasts of Hawaii and California, with a highly concentrated center that moves seasonally and over time with changing ocean conditions.

When making their calculations about the amount of plastic in the gyre, Maximenko and Hafner developed models that helped correct variability in ocean conditions due to currents, winds and waves. These factors can push plastic pieces down temporarily beneath the surface where they aren’t scooped up by researchers’ plastic trawling equipment, which only skims the ocean’s surface. Even when using these models, the amount of plastic still increased by a significant amount, Moore said.

Marcus Eriksen, marine plastic researcher and co-founder of ocean conservation organization 5 Gyres, said that while Moore’s study is an interesting analysis, he questions how accurate it could be because of how many plastic samples are needed to draw a conclusion about trends. In 2014, using the same trawl-sampling techniques as Moore, Eriksen co-authored a study estimating that globally at least 5.25 trillion plastic pieces are floating at or near the ocean’s surface – with nearly two trillion in the North Pacific Ocean alone. Moore, citing his data, believes that study’s estimates for the North Pacific numbers may be an underestimate.

“In my experience, if you sample the same spot one hour later, you’ll likely find a significant difference in plastic count and weight,” said Eriksen. “While the authors are probably correct about an increasing trend – and it is also difficult to understand the influence of the 2011 Japan tsunami event – we need more samples over time to really understand what’s going on.”

Moore acknowledges the variability in sampling for plastic in the North Pacific Gyre, and agrees on a need for more samples. But he emphasized that what’s certain is that the amount of plastic in the oceans, particularly microplastic, is increasing as humans increase their production of the material.

“Our plastic production will triple by 2050 and that’s when it’s predicted to be half-plastic, half-fish in the ocean” by weight, said Moore, citing a plastic impact estimate published by the World Economic Forum. “But we’re continuing to extract more and more fish, we’re making more and more fish sick, we’re catching more and more fish in ghost nets … so the estimate of half-plastic, half-fish by 2050 may be optimistic.”

SOURCE:

15-Year Study Indicates Huge Increase in Pacific Ocean Microplastics

By Erica Cirino, News Deeply – Oceans Deeply, February 13, 2018

 

 

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The Queen Declares War on Plastic by banning plastic straws and bottles

Queen Elizabeth II is banning plastic straws and bottles across the royal estates.

The telegraph reported that the monarch is behind Buckingham Palace’s plans to phase out single-use plastics from public cafes, royal residences and staff dining rooms.  Royal caterers will instead use china plates and glasses or recyclable paper cups. Takeaway food from the Royal Collection cafes must be made of compostable or biodegradable packaging.

“Across the organization, the Royal Household is committed to reducing its environmental impact,” a palace spokesman said, according to the Telegraph.

“As part of that, we have taken a number of practical steps to cut back on the use of plastics. At all levels, there’s a strong desire to tackle this issue.”

The Queen was reportedly inspired to take action after working with famed naturalist Sir David Attenborough on a conservation documentary about wildlife in the Commonwealth.  Attenborough’s “Blue Planet II” documentary that aired last year highlighted the devastating effects of plastic on our oceans and marine life.

The Royal family is dedicated to a number of environmental causes. Last year, Prince Charles helped launch a $2 million competition to stop plastic entering  entering our oceans, which Charles described as an “escalating ecological and human disaster.”

British lawmakers are also urging for more action to fight plastic pollution. A ban on microbeads came into force in Britain last month . . . In 2015, a 5p (5 British pennies) fee was introduced on plastic carrier bags, which led to 9 billion fewer bags being used.  “It’s making a real difference,” May said of the bag fee. “We want to do the same with single use plastics.”

Many businesses in the UK are getting on board with cutting out plastics. Starbucks recently introduced a 5p disposable cup charge in 20 to 25 central London outlets to encourage customers to switch to reusable cups. And Iceland Foods, a major UK supermarket chain specializing in frozen food, announced that it will eliminate plastic packaging from its own brand of products by the end of 2023.

By Lorraine Chow, Ecowatch
February 12, 2018
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Scotland plans to ban plastic straws by end of 2019

Scotland is set to become the first UK nation to ban plastic straws as part of plans to cut down on single-use plastics.  The move follows the announcement that the Scottish Government is outlawing the sale and manufacture of plastic cotton buds, one of the most prevalent waste items found on beaches.

Parts of Britain, including the remote Shetland Islands, have also set out their own plans to cut down on single-use plastics in an effort to combat pollution. . .

Businesses like Wetherspoon and Wagamama have already ended the use of plastic straws, as has Buckingham Palace after expressing a “strong desire to tackle the issue” of plastic pollution  . . .

The use of plastic straws was banned in the Scottish Parliament earlier this month, and Scottish Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham stated that ban is set to be extended to the rest of the country.  She said she wanted to see cotton buds phased out by the end of this year, and a ban on plastic straws entering into law by the end of 2019.  “I would strongly encourage the big manufacturers of straws that the writing is on the wall and they need to be thinking about alternatives now,” she said.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “We are committed to ending Scotland’s throwaway culture and are considering how we can reduce single-use items like plastic straws.  “There are obviously a number of legislative, financial and accessibility issues to consider when it comes to banning plastic straws, however it is our intention that we will be in a position to confirm definitive plans over the coming months.”

The Scottish Government will appoint an expert panel to advise on methods to reduce single-use items, including the introduction of charges.

Following the introduction of a 5p charge in the UK, plastic bag use has dropped by 85 per cent.

The spokesperson added that when the expert panel is established, plastic straws will be “one of their first priorities”.

Ms Cunningham said there will need to be alternatives available to replace plastic straws where necessary, and noted the speed of the process would be accelerated if there were no plastic straw manufacturers in Scotland. . .

Ms Cunningham said that while it was not as simple as producing “a long list” of plastic products to ban, she would like to expand restrictions to other forms of plastic that commonly pollute the environment.  “I would hope to have, by the end of this parliament, more than just plastic cotton buds and straws done,” she said. “It’s a continuing process.”

 

By Josh Gabbatiss, Science Correspondent, Independent

February 12, 2018

READ FULL ARTICLE AT:

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/scotland-plastic-straw-ban-pollution-2019-cotton-buds-a8206636.html?fbclid=IwAR1PboD-4B5zUfBzD6qyrm16q_k8sEHhG9M6Fn5a6m-XowVA6zuH4ZBQRG8

 

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Microplastics ‘pose major threat’ to whales and sharks, scientists warn

The oceans’ largest creatures are eating large quantities of plastic fragments and other microplastics, exposing them to toxic chemicals.

Even the largest marine creatures are vulnerable to tiny fragments of plastic littering the world’s oceans. A new study has found whales and whale sharks – the largest fish in the world – are ingesting microplastics in alarming quantities.

These creatures are filter feeders, meaning they consume large quantities of small prey by straining them out of the ocean water.  In the process, they swallow hundreds to thousands of cubic metres of water daily, meaning there is the potential for them to take in substantial amounts of microplastic floating in the water.

 Whale sharks are ingesting hundreds of pieces of plastic every day, according to new research
 Whale sharks are ingesting hundreds of pieces of plastic every day, according to new research ( Getty )

“Our studies on whale sharks in the Sea of Cortez and on fin whales in the Mediterranean Sea confirmed exposure to toxic chemicals, indicating that these filter feeders are taking up microplastics in their feeding grounds,” said Professor Maria Cristina Fossi of the University of Siena.

Microplastics are small pieces of plastic less than 5mm in size. Some microplastics are manufactured, such as the microbeads added to health and beauty products, while others are the result of larger plastics gradually breaking down.  These plastics are pervasive in marine environments, and they are known to harbour toxic substances such as heavy metals and phthalates.

Since many animals are known to eat microplastics, scientists are concerned about the toxic substances contained within them, as well as their capacity to accumulate within the animals and stop them from absorbing nutrients correctly. “Exposure to these plastic-associated toxins pose a major threat to the health of these animals since it can alter the hormones, which regulate the body’s growth and development, metabolism, and reproductive functions, among other things,” said Professor Fossi.

The study was published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution.

. . . While scientists agree that plastic pollution is a problem for marine animals, there is still a lot they do not know about the magnitude of its impact.

“Despite the growing research on microplastics in the marine environment, there are only few studies that examine the effects on large filter feeders,” said Elitza Germanov, a researcher at the Marine Megafauna Foundation and lead author of the study.

Assessing plastic in the diets of large animals such as whales and whale sharks is difficult, as it relies on analysis of stomach contents. However, by taking tissue samples from living animals, the scientists were able to test for the presence of toxic chemicals from microplastics in their bodies.

The researchers also estimated the numbers of plastic fragments being ingested daily by whales and whale sharks. While they thought whale sharks were likely eating nearly 200 items per day, the fin whales’ plastic consumption numbered in the thousands.

Many giant filter feeders are already listed as endangered, and often their feeding grounds overlap with some of the world’s worst pollution hotspots.

“It has become clear though that microplastic contamination has the potential to further reduce the population numbers of these species, many of which are long-lived and have few offspring throughout their lives,” said Ms Germanov.

 

By Josh Gabbatis, Science Correspondent, The Independent

February 5, 2018

https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/microplastics-ocean-pollution-whales-sharks-threat-plastic-coffee-cups-microbeads-a8194131.html

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Artist successfully depicts what it is like to be in an ocean full of plastic

In Mumbai, India, the organization St-art India has remodeled Sassoon Dock for a huge art display to change people’s perspective on how we treat our planet. The artwork display that has received a lot of attention was created by a Singapore-based artist. It provides people with a feel for what it is like for fish or other underwater ocean animals to be ‘trapped in an ocean full of plastic.