Representatives of 175 countries voted to start developing a global treaty to reduce plastic waste. Treaties addressing mercury, long-range air pollution and ozone depletion offer some lessons.
Articles on Ocean plastic pollution
Displaying 21 - 40 of 51 articles
An estimated 8 million metric tons of plastic waste enters the ocean each year – equivalent to dumping in a garbage truckload of it every minute. A new report calls on the US to help stem the deluge.
Thousands of shipping containers are lost at sea each year, dispersing Lego, inkjet cartridges and rubber ducks across the world’s beaches.
Ocean swimmers often wax lyrical about the benefits of a regular dip in the salt water.
It’s great to see the federal government finally providing clear policy direction for the waste industry. But it’s far from enough to temper the waste crisis.
The Pacific Ocean produces oxygen, helps regulates the weather, provides food and livelihoods. It’s a place of fun, solace and spiritual connection. But its delicate ecology is under threat.
A new study reports that baby Florida sea turtles are consuming large quantities of plastic waste during a critical early life stage at sea.
An enormous amount of fishing gear is cut loose in the ocean each year. The losses cut into fishers’ profits and kill marine wildlife. A new project aims to get ghost gear out of the ocean.
New research reveals how roads channel microplastics from car tires and brake pads to remote ocean habitats.
A media study of public criticism of plastic reveals that stigmatisation may result in limited bans, it leaves the vast majority of plastic production and pollution unexplored.
New research from Australia’s national science agency shows a huge amount of ocean plastic ends up on land, where it gets trapped.
Advertisers that tell a good story can persuade the public of all sorts of things. But some messages are disingenuous and misleading.
Where does plastic waste go when it reaches the ocean? For most of it, not far.
Plastic washed ashore from the ocean is hard to recycle. What else can we do with it?
New research shows that chemicals leached from ocean plastic impair the growth and oxygen production of the planet’s most abundant photosynthesiser - endangering marine ecosystems and the climate.
Biodegradable bags still strong enough to carry shopping after three years in the ground show that ‘biodegradability’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Asian countries have become a dumping ground for the plastic waste from wealthy countries.
Academics from different disciplines come Head to Head in this series to tackle topical debates.
Cleaning up plastic pollution in the ocean is good – and long overdue. But where will the waste go? Recycling isn’t always an option. Bacteria and enzymes could process it, raising new questions.
Autopsies of 1,000 turtles washed up on Australian beaches paint a grim picture of the impact of plastic debris. Even a single piece can be deadly, and on average 14 pieces equals a 50% fatality rate.
Top contributors
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Senior Principal Research Scientist, Environment, CSIRO
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Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO
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Research Scientist, Oceans and Atmospheres, CSIRO
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Regents' Professor of Art and Design, Georgia State University
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Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy, University of Portsmouth
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CSIRO
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Research Scientist, Stanford University
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Professor of Environmental Toxicology, Heriot-Watt University
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Marine Socioecologist, University of Tasmania
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Associate Professor, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg
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Lecturer, School of Agriculture and Food Science & Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland
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Assistant Professor, University of California, Irvine
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Senior Research Fellow in Aquatic Ecology, Charles Darwin University
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Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Warwick
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Professor Emerita of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University - Newark