Why the ocean hates it when you wash your face

What do all these products have in common?

 
One word: Microbeads.

After my last post, hopefully we are all slightly more aware of the magnitude of marine debris and plastics in the ocean. Unfortunately, the problem gets even scarier.

How many of these products do you use on a daily basis? How many people do you know who use these products? The answer is...too many.

Hell, most women receive at least a years' worth of Bath and Body Works products for Christmas gifts. But most of these gifts look like this:

While it is nice that people want to smell like an exotic Caribbean Escape, or Cucumber Melon, the microbeads used to exfoliate your skin are made out of teeny tiny bits of plastic.

This means that since they are so small, they act as fine sediments, and cannot be filtered very easily. Even worse, because they are plastic, they are unaffected by water treatment plants. This means that significant quantities of these tiny little particles are being flushed into our oceans.

 




Recent studies have found microbeads in river sediments, lakes, oceans, and a variety of organisms such as fish, crabs, and mussels all over the world.

The overwhelming number of microbeads in addition to the overall amount of degraded plastics in the environment is terrifying, and scientists have only just started to scratch the surface of their full impact on the ocean and marine wildlife.

Ban the beads!
Luckily, many places have already started to ban products with microbeads, but they are still very easy to obtain. For example, recent legislature in California has banned products with microbeads; however, it will not be in effect for another 4 years.

http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-plastic-microbeads-ban-20151008-story.html

In the meantime, change your daily habits, and switch to more natural exfoliates, like oatmeal, coconut, almonds or whatever else tickles your fancy.

Five more devastating facts about plastics in our oceans:

1. Plastics are extremely adhesive, and have been found to absorb pesticides and other runoff toxins and pollutants. 
2. Certain types of plastics can lump together on the surface to create biofilms that become a vector for species transport. This can potentially increase invasive species.
3. Microplastics are so abundant on beaches, that they have been found to change the permeability of the sand. This affects the temperature of the sand, which in return can impact animals such as sea turtles that nest in the sand. This minuscule variation in temperature alter sex ratios, potentially causing more male hatchlings than females.
4. A recent study shows that fish and bivalves (mussels/clams/oysters) purchased in supermarkets around the world (including California) contained microplastics
5. Washing synthetic clothes can also release thousands of tiny microplastic particles. One study suggests that a single garment can release up to 1900 fibers per washing cycle. (However, only one study that I know of has shown this, and I am not sure of its magnitude in relation to other marine debris....I just thought it was and interesting tid bit to include).

References:

Fendall and Sewell (2009). Contributing to marine pollution by washing your face: microplastics in facial cleaners.

http://www.sciencedirect.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0025326X09001799

Zitko and Hanlon (1991). Another source of pollution by plastics: skin cleaners with plastic scrubbers.

http://br9xy4lf5w.scholar.serialssolutions.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/?sid=google&auinit=V&aulast=Zitko&atitle=Another+source+of+pollution+by+plastics:+skin+cleaners+with+plastic+scrubbers&id=doi:10.1016/0025-326X(91)90444-W&title=Marine+pollution+bulletin&volume=22&issue=1&date=1991&spage=41&issn=0025-326X

Castaneda et al. (2014). Microplastic pollution in St. Lawrence River Sediments

http://www.nrcresearchpress.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2014-0281#.Vjwo1fkrLIV

Eriksen et al (2013). Microplastic pollution in the surface waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes of the United States

http://www.sciencedirect.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0025326X13006097

Napper et al. (2015) Characterisation, quantity and sorptive properties of microplastics extracted from cosmetics.

https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/handle/10026.1/3502

McCormick et al. (2014) Microplastic is an abundant and distinct microbial habitat in an urban river.

http://pubs.acs.org.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1021/es503610r

Wright et al. (2011) The physical impacts of microplastics on marine organisms: A review
http://www.sciencedirect.com.elibrary.jcu.edu.au/science/article/pii/S0269749113001140%20-%20K%C3%B6rperliche%20Auswirkungen%20von%20Mikroplastik%20auf%20marine%20Organismen%20(engl.)

Cole et al. (2011) Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: a review
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X11005133

  

The Pacific Garbage Patch....Is that a thing?

I’m sure you've heard those rumors about the garbage island in the middle of the Pacific the size of Texas? Or many Texases? Or maybe Texai? What is the plural of Texas? Why is the official unit for a garbage patch Texas?

Anywho, unfortunately these rumors are true, and not only that, there is more than one. Due to the circular flow of currents, floating garbage (mostly plastic) concentrates into several patches between North America and Asia. It is difficult to estimate the actual size, as the patches fluctuates depending on the season, however there are reports of the garbage patches existing, and they are a HUGE problem that need to properly brought to the public’s attention.

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration:  http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/info/patch.html 

Now you may say: Holy Texaseses Batman! Why hasn’t anyone cleaned this up?!? Well, this is not as simple as you think. It's hard to find a good photo of the problem, because the garbage patch doesn’t so look as much as this:

Photo by Leo Weiss

As it does this:

Photo of Charles Moore, man who actually discovered the Pacific garbage patch. Interesting interview with Charles Moore here.

More like a goopy plastic soup.

This is because plastics are so durable, they are incredibly slow, and in some cases impossible to degrade. Instead, plastic breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, until you are no longer able to see them. The remaining plastic bits are called microplastics. This means that although the plastics are no longer visible, it doesn’t mean they’ve disappeared. 

Have you ever left a plastic bag in the sun? Eventually it disappears, but it doesn’t mean it is not there. Artwork from Archipelago Institute of Marine Conservation 

Long story short, the garbage patches are made up of very small pieces of plastic making the more like a plastic soup, and would require nearly limitless amounts of money, resources, and effort to clean up, which unfortunately makes it impossible. 

How does pollution spread? 

So how does all that get into the ocean, and make this giant mess? In this day and age, plastic is a HUGE part of our lives. It makes up just about everything you use in your everyday life, and is almost impossible to avoid. You can’t brush your teeth, wash your hair, or even watch television in without the use of plastic! That doesn’t mean all plastic is bad, there’s no denying, plastic is cheap, lightweight, durable, and can be easily mass produced. But all the reasons that make plastics so useful, are also the reasons that make plastic nature’s worst enemy.

Because it is so light weight, some of that plastic is going to escape despite people’s best efforts. Have you ever seen a runaway grocery bag, or an overflowing trash can? Better yet, just look outside your window next time you are driving on the highway. Often times this pollution accumulates in sewers, lakes, creeks, and rivers which all eventually connect to the ocean.

Photo by Roger Whiteway

How does this impact our wildlife?

While the impacts of pollution on wildlife are widely known (cue stereotypical picture of cute sea lion with a plastic soda can holder around its head), the sheer amount of pollution, particularly plastics, in natural habitats is widely under-publicized to the general public. 

Illustration by John Pritchett

While the garbage patches are incredibly freaky, and a total downer, it doesn’t stop there. Plastic pollution can be found just about everywhere. One study (Moser and Lee 1992) in North Carolina found that out of 1033 of sea birds, half of them were found to have plastic particles in their guts. Sea birds and other marine animals are commonly found to ingest plastic, which causes digestive problems which often leads to death.

Okay, who cares about those flying poop machines? How does this garbage patch affect ME?

Recent studies are showing that even plankton and fish are also ingesting those microplastics. Toxins increase exponentially through food chains, which can make our favorite fish potentially harmful to eat. One classic example is high levels of mercury in Tuna. The same can go for plastic toxins. One study found that the consumption of plastics by a type of plankton may be causing toxin buildup in Salmon. However, this is all very new research, and scientists are still working to understand the potential impacts on human health.

How do we fix this? Moderation is key.

Let’s face it, plastics are pretty handy and have contributed to a variety of incredible things that make this world awesome.

However, the amount of plastic we use and discard on a daily basis is unfathomable. Grocery bags, Ziploc baggies, straws, plastic wrap… all those things you throw in the trash are all never going away, and are difficult to recycle. 

In my opinion, the only way to fix this problem is moderation. I can’t ask you to cut plastic out of your life completely, because it is almost impossible, and honestly, most people, including myself, just can’t do it. But what you can do, is focus on reducing the disposable plastic you use, and then recycle what you can. Make a conscience effort and do the best you can, and that is a step forward in the right direction.

Some culprits that can be easily avoided:

The infamous plastic bags

Ubiquitous turtle photo from an unknown source (google search)

Note:

Make sure you are recycling properly! Every recycling center is different in every town. However, many recycling centers will not recycle things like grocery bags, since they gum up the sorting machine. However, many grocery stores will take them, so put them in a safe place until your next trip to get groceries!

Balloons

Photo by Balloons Blow

You should see the ocean after graduation season….all those balloons you accidentally let go end up somewhere! Are balloons really necessary?

Plastic straws

Photo by http://cboxplastic.blogspot.com/

Volunteers found 62 plastic straws on Huntington Beach, California in just one clean up. Next time you are at a restaurant, skip out on the straw and plastic lid.

Some awesome things I have found that can make a difference:

1. Reusable bags
2. Reusable produce bags 
3. Kick ass reusable water bottle that keeps your water icy cold ALL DAY 
4. Pyrex containers and Tupperware instead of Ziploc baggies or throwaway containers.
5. Reusable food covers instead of plastic wrap 
6. Recycled and reusable straws 
7. Newspaper (or any type of paper) instead of wrapping paper
8. “Green” plastics **Edit: Upon further investigation, I've learned that these "green" plastics are not exactly better options. They take extreme temperatures to actually biodegrade, so they do not degrade in normal waste treatment. In addition, they cannot be recycled. These should be avoided as well.  

Key references:

There are many blogs, fact sheets, and information sites on plastic pollution, however my goal for you in this blog was to provide only direct links to peer reviewed research and reputable resources, so you can have a direct link for all of my information.

Scientific papers I've used:

Derriak 2002

Lusher et al. 2013

Corzar et al. 2014

Moore et al. 2001 

Pierre et al. 2015 

Another article on plastic. It is very long, but for the most part, the sources seem legitimate:

http://coastalcare.org/2009/11/plastic-pollution/

Also, NOAA has its own great little fact sheet about the garbage patch.

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/what-we-know-about-garbage-patches

What is going on with the Great Barrier Reef?

First let me start this blog to tell you more about the place I have been working the last several years…the Great Barrier Reef. It is one of the world’s living wonders, and a place that has been put on just about everyone’s bucket list. Quite frankly, it’s one of the most beautiful places I’ll ever see in my lifetime.

As many of you may know, it is one of the largest living organisms spanning 1430 miles (2300km), just off the coast of Queensland, Australia. So large, we can see it from space! As one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, it maintains a variety of wildlife such as colorful fish, turtles, sharks, rays, crocodiles, whales, dolphins, dugongs, and so much more. Most of all, it is made up of hundreds of different coral species that create a place for all these creatures to live. 

The Reef is in trouble!

Despite the GBR’s general awesomeness, it is in trouble. Serious trouble. In the last 30 years, overall coral cover in the GBR has declined by half. And this is only within the time period the reef was actually monitored, it is likely to have declined before this time. Some sites are only a shell of what they once were. In particular, the coastal reefs and those closest to human civilization are nowhere near what they should be. Many of these areas are now overgrown with algae and sediment, with little coral in sight. If the decline of these reef continue at this rate, the GBR as we know it will be gone within our lifetime.

Algae overgrowing coral, Magnetic Island, Australia (2014) Photo cred: Reef Check Australia

The Problem

So you might have seen some of the “SAVE THE REEF” campaigns, and thought: “Whhhhaaatt? Those stupid tree loving hippies are so over dramatic. That scuba diving magazine just told me to come visit the reef, because it was beautiful and healthy, and amazing! Thanks for nothing Obama.”

Well, I admit, those stupid tree loving hippies can be overdramatic about some issues, they are not wrong about the dire situation the reef is in.

There are many overlapping impacts that are not only affecting the GBR, but just about all ocean ecosystems as well. This includes warmer waters, damage from increased intensity and frequency of storms, overfishing, pollution, excess nutrients from coastal runoff, and much, much more. As slow growing, long lived, and sensitive animals, corals are being hit hard with these compounding factors, and are unable to recuperate fast enough to rebuild. Without coral, there is no habitat, and without habitat, there is nowhere for all the other amazing creatures to live. 

What can YOU do?

Yes, the reef is declining, but there is still hope…if we change NOW. I don’t know about you, but I would love my children to have the chance to see the reef for themselves, and not just in pictures. No matter where you are in the world, a few simple changes can go a long way. ALL ecosystems are connected. We, as a global community, can work together to bring the oceans as a whole to a healthier state.

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Unfortunately, plastic and other debris can travel, and much can find its way into our water systems and oceans. And the more garbage we have, the more it finds its way into our oceans.

Twinkie crate from Kansas City found in Australia. See here for the whole story! 

If you can, limit your purchases with plastic packaging and buy more items in glass bottles, and dispose of them properly. And of course, remember to use those reusable bags!!! My trick is always have a few in my purse. 

If only bananas had some sort of natural, biodegradable wrapping that protected the inside...

Context: Sea turtles don’t just have smelly farts… they can consume plastic often develop a sickness called floating syndrome. The indigestible plastic becomes lodged into their intestines, creating a buildup of gas, which prohibits the turtle to descend underwater. Approximately 36% of Australian seaturtles are affected by marine litter  Photo cred:amcs.org.au

2. Ride a bike if you can!

       Excess carbon emissions are creating a multitude of problems in the world’s oceans, particularly in the GBR. Rising CO₂ levels are causing warmer waters which leads to coral bleaching and death, and ocean acidification, which impairs coral and fish growth and behavior.

If enough of us reduce our carbon emissions by riding bikes (or a kangaroo is you have one), or walking when we can, we may be able to make a difference. Plus, it is great exercise! Who can complain about that?

3. Reduce nutrient rich runoff, by watering lawns less

Runoff from farms are not the only ones creating nutrient rich runoff from fertilizers. Collectively, people from around the world use fertilizer to help their lawns and gardens grow. While the use of fertilizer is not totally a problem, people tend to over water their lawns, which causes runoff into storm drains, which eventually lead to the ocean. 

If you think about it, millions of people of doing this can make quite an impact. Simple tricks like using drip systems or letting your sprinkler system run only a few minutes at a time, a few times a day, can eliminate this problem. Plus, it saves water...which also saves money!

This is an AMAZING video that is more specific to Southern California, but has some great information and tips on how to conserve water, and reduce runoff. (2:58-4:42-talks more about the use of water at home). 

Remember, we need the help of EVERYONE, no matter where you are in the world to protect our precious ecosystems!

Want to learn/do more?

Here handy list of what more you can do, to protect our water systems and oceans.

Check out these Adidas shoes made out of Ocean debris!!

For more informations see: 

www.Reefcheckaustralia.org

www.gbrmpa.gov.au

www.aims.gov.au

http://www.marineconservation.org.au/

http://www.tangaroablue.org/

About this blog

Hi all!

So here is the deal. For a while now, I have been interested in starting a blog. During my recent studies, I have learned the importance to bridge the gap between scientists and the general public. Relying on the news, internet and other forms of social media for science communication can be misleading, or honestly, just plain wrong. If you are taking advice about climate change from people like Donald Trump, this world has turned into a dark, and terrifying place. However, the biggest problem is that scientists are not exactly known for their social skills. Nor do they have the time or patience to turn complicated research into interesting, reader friendly words to the general public. After all, the poor bastards are practically working for free.

It has always been my passion to educate others on marine and wildlife conservation, and science. I feel that this would be the perfect way to practice my writing and communication skills. This blog will (hopefully) provide interesting information on marine science, and will give you direct links and references for how you can learn more. I thought I would begin telling you more about my own research. Please be brutally honest with your thoughts. I will only be sharing this with my friends and family for practice, and I would love to hear your comments. If I am unable to adequately communicate with my friends and family, than how the heck am I going to make a career with conservation science?!

Please be brutally honest with:

• Clarity. Is it easy to read and understand? My target is to communicate with an adult audience with little to no science background.
• Is the topic interesting? Does it maintain your attention? Is it too long? Too boring?
•  Is the text/link/picture proportions make sense, easy to navigate, and pleasing to the eye?
• General sentence structure, grammar etc. 

     

    Thank you and enjoy!