Oceans Deeply
Report: Microplastic Can Penetrate Fish’s Brains, Altering Behavior/Written by Erica Cirino
For the first time scientists have shown that the smallest bits of marine plastic pollution – called nanoplastic – can move up the aquatic food chain and be absorbed by predators’ brains, affecting their ability to hunt.
https://www.newsdeeply.com/
Category Archives: Uncategorized
NOAA Marine Debris grants- 2 funding opportunities available
Microbead free cosmetics law now in force in U.S.
Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 finally came into force last month. As of July 1, 2017 it is now unlawful to manufacture rinse-off cosmetic products with plastic microbeads in the US. Beginning July 1, 2018 it will be unlawful to sell such products in the US.
Do note that there is a 1-year delay in each case for over-the-counter drugs.
The full bill is at https://www.congress.gov/bill/
Benthic invertebrates injesting microplastics
“Microplastic pollution identified in deep-sea water and ingested by benthic invertebrates in the Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean”
View paper: https://authors.elsevier.com/a
Kenya has toughtest plastic bag ban
Kenya officially has the world’s toughest plastic-bag ban: importing, making, or selling plastic bags will now be punishable by fines of around $20,000 (the number varies in reporting between $19,000 to $38,000) or up to 4 years in jail.
The New York Times offers more details at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/
For travelers, your duty-free plastic bags will need to be left at the airport upon arrival.
A Summary of the Literature on the Chemical Toxicity of Plastics Pollution on Aquatic Life …
Oceans Poisoned by Plastics, A PRI Story
This article notes the amount and impacts of plastics in the ocean.
http://www.pri.org/stories/2016-12-13/climate-change-meet-your-apocalyptic-twin-oceans-poisoned-plastic
Marine litter resolution at the World Conservation Congress
The IUCN Members Assembly that was held last week as part of the World Conservation Congress in Honolulu passed a motion on marine litter. The motion recognizes the problem of marine plastic and calling on countries to prevent, reduce, and otherwise manage it.
The motion’s original proposed text was revised to emphasize the particular roles of microbeads and fish aggregation devices in contributing to the problem. Go here for the approved motion.
The motion was passed by 130 for 0 against member governments with 26 abstentions, and by 554 member non governmental organizations voting for, 7 opposed, with 126 abstentions.
A “smog” of plastic may be killing our oceans
Article regarding quantity of microplastic particles
Article in Nature: Amount of Marine Debris
This article has good graphics and information about the amount by size of plastics in the ocean and its impacts.