Research Briefing Paper

The effect of microplastics on our oceans marine life is indirect and therefore less obvious. Unlike microplastics, standard trash can directly harm animals by suffocating birds or imitating food. Microplastics play no direct threat to marine life, however, their long-term effect on clams, oysters, and other filter feeders will surely cause long-term catastrophe to our marine food web. So that brings us to the overlying problem, tiny microplastics and microfibers in our oceans created by a society built on synthetic materials are causing huge negative effects in our ocean's food webs. By bringing awareness to all these factors solutions can then be formed.

In 1988, it was determined that the United States alone, was producing 30 million tonnes of plastic per year (Derraik, J.G.B., 2002). This can be compared with the global and annual production of 260 million tonnes of plastic as of 2012 (Pearson, E., 2014). Plastics are lightweight, durable, and cheap to make. This makes them incredibly easy to sell and manufacture. However, these attributes are many of the reasons why plastics are the most prominent type of marine debris, and why they are a serious hazard to various ecosystems and the organisms that live within them (Derraik, J.G.B.,

From the polar regions to the equator, these microplastics are everywhere (Avio, 2017). While we know there are tons of plastic in the ocean, it is difficult for researchers to give an exact amount. However, after twenty-four expeditions, a team of researchers in 2014 estimated that there are at least 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing 268,940 tons floating in the ocean (Eriksen, 2014). They estimate that the North Pacific and North Atlantic oceans contain 55.6% of the particles found in the oceans (Eriksen, 2014). These researchers have helped give emphasis and proof as to why the worlds plastic consumption needs to be dealt with, either by banning non-biodegradable plastic all together, or by providing people all around the world with an easier way to recycle plastic.

One of the issues that is currently harming the ocean is the presence of pollution. Studies have shown that over the past thirty years, people have increased their use of plastics and synthetic materials and recently it has become even more abundant (Laist). The amount of plastic debris that has entered the ocean is partially due to people 's inability to properly dispose of plastic and waste. This has immeasurable effects on the physical ecosystem, as well as the creatures who inhabit it. While plastic is very buoyant, it takes a very long time to degrade, and it is usually eaten by

The NOAA Marine Debris Program is leading efforts within NOAA to research this topic. Standardized field methods for collecting sediment, sand, and surface-water microplastic samples have been developed and continue to undergo testing. Eventually, field and laboratory protocols will allow for global comparisons of the amount of microplastics released into the environment, which is the first step in determining the final distribution, impacts, and fate of this

Another options for cleaning up the plastics is the Seabin Project. Designed by Austrailian Surfers, Andrew Turton and Pete Creglinski, the Seabin is a devices that is hooked up to marine docks, and uses a water pump to pulling sea water and debris in to a natural fiber bag and pumping out clean water (Tomo News, 2016). The pumps can have an oil filter attached to them so that the water pumped out is cleaner than going in. Because the bags can be pulled out and the

Overall, neither the direct nor long-term effects of microplastic pollution in the field are thoroughly understood. The quantity of microplastics in the ocean is set to continue to increase, largely due to three factors; 1) the large volume of

The growing plastic problem is becoming an issue, because people introduced plastic to the environment. Plastics often coming from microfibers in clothing, nurdles from plastic snow, and other plastic products being found in the ocean, often in floating islands of plastic trash called gyres. In a study conducted by professor Kenji Miyamoto, in the article “New plastic-eating bacteria has potential to ease world’s trash glut” by Ken Mathiesen has stated that these issues need to be worked on, million of tons of suffocating debre show in our oceans every year coming in the realization of one-third of all plastics end up invading the environment. Showing these numbers show some realistic effect of how a total of rubbish ends up in our environment,

Zooplankton are a tiny marine creature that can ingest pieces of plastic that are smaller the one millimeter in size. Normally in a marine environment the faecal pellets transport nutrients and carbon in the deeper parts of the ocean where animals eat it thinking they’re getting food that will help them but in reality they are just taking in pieces of plastic. A new study showed that the faecal pellets that contain microplastic sink slower than the faecal pellets without the microplastic in it. With the pellets that sink slower it gives marine life a greater opportunity to eat it. (Plankton Feces Could Move Plastic Pollution to the Ocean Depths)

( Connor, Microplastic Waste; This massive(tiny) threat to sea life is now in every ocean). Microplastics can also range in size from invisible to millimeters in diameters. Because of this, it is quite hard for scientists to identify. Although it is also very easy for microplastics to stick together and make these islands. These tiny plastics are also beginning to spread everywhere in the oceans. Because they are everywhere that means they are also polluting the water and endangering marine

Q3b) These engineering challenges are largely focused on solving the environmental impact. The recent use of the plastic have shot up enormously over recent decades and it continues to increase. In 2014, the production for plastic exceeded more than 300 million tons11 and almost 8 million tons of plastic ended up in ocean. Poor waste management control and infrastructure have led to large pollution problem. It is estimated with this current uptrend, the amount of plastic entering the ocean will double by 202512. In 2050, as shown in figure one14, there might be more plastic than fish in the

Since it’s commercial inception in the late 1930’s, plastic has revolutionized, modernized, and undoubtedly eased human living. Unfortunately, this leap in consumer and industrial technology also came with an unforeseen and devastating side effect. It is speculated that there are at least 5.25 trillion plastic particles weighing a combined 268,940 tons currently floating in the world’s oceans (“Plastic Pollution in the World's Oceans” par. 17). Given that ocean pollution is in such an advanced stage, my research question is this, is it too late or impossible to remove a majority of plastics from the oceans? Although the design and production of large scale ocean clean up equipment is still in it’s infancy, my thesis will be centric to idea that through this equipment, it is not too late to efficiently clean the oceans. Through faith in the machinery currently under

Since it’s commercial inception in the late 1930’s, plastic has revolutionized, modernized, and undoubtedly eased the human experience. Unfortunately, this leap in consumer and industrial technology also came with an unforeseen and devastating side effect. Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans is serious and disgustingly under-looked problem. Due to the influx of hundreds of thousands of tons of plastic, the marine landscape is changing rapidly. This issue isn’t just exclusive to oceans either. The world’s rivers and seas are also feeling the brunt of non-biodegradable waste. The scientific community is scrambling to find a solution to this ubiquitous issue. Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans has already lead some environmental activists and entrepreneurs to develop systems and machinery to prevent further damage. Ultimately, the future of our planet’s oceans fall not into the hands of the engineers and scientists, but into the hands of the common man. Our collective actions and attitudes towards oceanic pollution will will be the catalyst for either triumph or turmoil.

Although many recognize that there is a problem with plastic pollution in the ocean many are unaware of how extreme this problem actually is and how quickly it is progressing. Plastic was first introduced in the 1950’s and it only took 10 years for scientists to begin to recognize the presence of plastic in the ocean. In 1972, J.B Colton of the National Marines Fisheries Service in Rhode Island published articles in Science warning that the toxic from plastic in the ocean was at its all-time worse and he predicted that it would not be long until the toxic would affect marine animals (Moore 1). “The increasing production of plastic, combined with present waste-disposal practices, will probably lead to greater concentrations on the sea surface” (Colton 1). Later on that same year the 1972 Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act was approved and passed by the U.S. Congress in order to regulate ocean dumping of waste and provided a research program on ocean dumping. However, this does not solve the problem of the amount of plastic in the ocean. What was not realized at this time was the fact that ocean dumping was not the only

With the combination of polymers that don’t biodegrade and mass overproduction, companies are harming the environment in severe ways. Plastic, a material seen everywhere, is a polymer made from oil. It is mass produced to make everything from shampoo bottles to automobiles and does not biodegrade. When it is eventually thrown out, the waste usually finds it way into the ocean, where it is either buried under sediment or eaten by marine life (Weisman 287-295). Creating a material that will ultimately kill marine life will undoubtedly wreak havoc on the