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Plastic is everywhere. The pollution of the ocean is a massive environmental crisis – and our world is crying out for change.

What are microplastics?
Less than five millimeters long, microplastics are teeny-tiny pieces of plastic which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life. There are two categories of microplastics: primary and secondary. Coming from a variety of sources – commercial product development (primary) and the breakdown of larger plastic debris (secondary) – at such a small size these tiny particles easily pass through water filtration systems and end up in our coasts and ocean, posing a potential threat to aquatic life.

But what really are they? In the primary category, these tiny particles have been used for commercial purposes – think cosmetics, clothing microfibers, and fishing nets. Secondary microplastics, however, are the result of larger plastic debris breaking down from ocean waves and our sun’s radiation.

What's the problem?
The problem with microplastics is that, like all plastic, they do not readily break down into harmless molecules. Instead, it can take hundreds or thousands of years to decompose—and in the meantime, wreak havoc on the environment. On beaches, microplastics are visible as tiny multicolored plastic bits in sand. In the ocean, they are visible in the stomachs of our marine life.

Microplastics have been detected in marine organisms from plankton to whales, in commercial seafood, and even in drinking water. Alarmingly, standard water treatment facilities cannot remove all traces of microplastics. To further complicate matters, microplastics in the ocean can bind with other harmful chemicals before being ingested by marine organisms.

Recently, microplastics have even been found in human blood and organs – all around the world, even in newborn babies. We must escape the pollution.

How did we let this happen?
Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II to the extent that life without plastics would be unimaginable today.

Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel and lessening pollution—and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: Today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, are used for mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.

 
How deep in are we?
Some key facts:

• Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.
• Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050.
• Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.
• Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

 

IT'S TIME TO STEM THE PLASTIC TIDE!
Once in the ocean, it is difficult—if not impossible—to retrieve plastic waste.

Mechanical systems, such as Mr. Trash Wheel, a litter interceptor in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of plastic, such as foam cups and food containers, from inland waters. But once plastics break down into microplastics and drift throughout the water column in the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to recover.

The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place, many scientists and conservationists—including the National Geographic Society—say. This could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling, better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.


HOW CAN YOU HELP?
We all know the value of Citizen Science. Whether researching or collecting data on plastics found across Australian beaches, to diving for debris, there is so much we can do (as individuals, groups, or organisations) to beat the plastic tide. 

This #CoastcareWeek22, get out and about with your local environmental group - from beach clean-ups to walk and talk tours, there are so many ways for you to enjoy our lovely Australian environment (while helping to maintain it!).


Get Involved!

Ross Creek Lagoon Monitoring Clean-Up - Yeppoon, QLD | Dec 9th 12:30pm-5:30pm
Join Capricornia Catchments for an afternoon at the beach for ReefClean monitoring and marine debris collection in Yeppoon! All marine debris collected will be analysed and the data will be uploaded to the AMDI Database. Read more

TurtleWatch Beach Clean - Paradise Point, QLD | Dec 10th 7:30am-10:30am
Guided turtles walks will run simultaneously whilst rubbish is removed from turtle nesting habitats. As we collect rubbish, a TurtleWatch representative will run through how to conduct TurtleWalk so attendees can conduct their own independently and contribute to turtle data! Read more

Careel Bay Mangroves Walk & Microplastic Study - Avalon, NSW | Dec 10th 10am-12pm
Come down and learn about the ecology of Careel Bay Mangroves and the impact that plastic has on these important ecosystems! Join us for a walk through this valuable habitat and discover the role these environments play in maintaining water quality. Read more

Farnborough Beach Monitoring Clean-Up - Farnborough, QLD | Dec 10th 1pm-4pm
Join Capricornia Catchments for an afternoon at the beach for ReefClean monitoring and marine debris collection in Yeppoon! All marine debris collected will be analysed and the data will be uploaded to the AMDI Database. Read more

Citizen Science Seagrass Monitoring (Ages 16+) - Labrador, QLD | Dec 10th 1pm-4pm
Join our Ocean Connect marine science team on their fortnightly seagrass survey to actively monitor the status and trends in seagrass conditions around the Gold Coast. This event will be held at Carters Bank (Wave Break Island), we will be meeting at the Labrador boat ramp as access is via boat. Read more

Dive Against Debris - Manly, NSW | Dec 11th 9am-1pm
Join our Ocean Connect marine science team on their fortnightly seagrass survey to actively monitor the status and trends in seagrass conditions around the Gold Coast. This event will be held at Carters Bank (Wave Break Island), we will be meeting at the Labrador boat ramp as access is via boat. Read more

Bondi Beach Clean-Up - Bondi Beach, NSW | Dec 11th 10am-3pm
Join Young AJP and ARAS on December 11th for a beach clean up led by the amazing NSW Fish Save. We'll be hitting Bondi Beach at 10am collecting as much rubbish and microplastic as we can! Read more

Restore Biodiversity at Tea Tree Reserve - Elwood, VIC | Dec 11th 10am-3pm
Help protect and enhance the biodiversity of the pre-colonial remnant vegetation site, and encourage habitat for small birds including the Superb Blue Fairy-wren that are disappearing from coastal areas due to habitat fragmentation. Read more


Image and Article Attrition: National Geographic