The Many Fates of Plastic Debris in the Ocean

About this event

In the 60 years since it entered the consumer arena, plastic has become the most common form of marine debris and presents a major, growing pollution problem. As a material of immense utility and durability, plastic has integrated seamlessly into our everyday lives; unfortunately, these same properties have also enabled plastic debris to fully integrate into the marine environment. This lecture will address several critical questions: What is the fate of plastic debris once it enters the ocean? How does the marine environment respond? How do we track and measure these degraded polymers? Finally, how do we effectively communicate these findings to policymakers and the general public? This event is also available virtuallly.