How does plastic get into the Gulf of Mexico?
By now you may have heard of the “plastic soup” in the Gulf of Mexico. Volunteer citizen-scientists who have gathered water samples find permanent fragments of micro-plastics in nearly every sample taken. These microplastics are created when the sun and wave action combine to break up larger pieces of plastic debris into tiny, microscopic bits. The problem, experts say, is more than just plastic drink bottles, though those can be culprits as well. It’s also that so many items are [...]