So,thereIwasinaremotepartofGreenland.Iwasholdingatinybirdcalledalittleaukinmyhand.Iwaswaitingforittopoop.ThisisnotwhatIexpectedtobedoingonmyfirstmajorresearch expedition!

alittle auk

I’mamarinebiologist.Iwasgoingtostudywheretheseseabirdsweregettingtheirfood.Ihadputtrackingdevicesonthem.I’dcollectthedeviceswhenthebirdsreturnedfromtheirfoodruns.Thedatawouldshowwheretheyhadflown.Ihadn’tcountedonthetrackersfallingoffandgettinglostatsea.That’swhathappened.Wasmyproject ruined?

No!Icouldn’tfigureoutwheretheygottheirfood.But,Icouldfigureoutwhatthey’deaten.So,asthebirdscameback,Icaughtthemandheldthemovermynotebookandwaited.Whenabirdpooped,Ihadmysample!BeforeIeventestedmysamples,though,Iheardsometroublingnews.Parentbirdswerebringingback plastic fortheirchicksto eat.

JustineAmmendoliaholdsa little auk.

CareerChange

IliveinNewfoundlandineasternCanada.ThisislandisasfareastinNorthAmericaasyoucanget.Theoceanandfishingareimportanttopeopleontheisland.But,Iknewourshoreswerepilingupwith plastic.


Ihadalotofquestions.Howmuchplasticwasgettingintotheoceans?Wherewasitcomingfrom?Ihadtofigurethisoutbeforetakingonthebiggerquestion.Howcanwestopplasticsfromgettinginto oceans?


Ibecameagarbagedetective.MypartnersandIcreateda“plasticsprofile.”WebeganstudyingsevenbeachesinNewfoundland.Whatwasthere?Wherediditcome from?

Greenland

Labrador

CANADA

NORTH
AMERICA

PACIFIC
OCEAN

ATLANTIC
OCEAN

Newfoundland

Collectingplastictrashisimportantscienceformyteam’sresearch.Butitisn’tglamorous work! 

Tomostpeople,oceanpollutionmeanswaterbottlesorplasticbags.Butwefindotherthings,too.Wefindmetal,glass,rubber,evenlumber.Somebeacheshaveplasticfoamfromtake‑outcontainers.Othershavefishinggear,likeropeand nets.


Ononebeach,Ifoundatinyplant,strugglingtogrowpastthetrash.OrsoI thought.

DetectiveWork

Everymonth,wevisitthesamebeaches.Werecordwhattypesofgarbagewefind.Thisisnotexcitingwork.It’sslowandgrimy.Therecanbestrongwinds.It’salmostalwayswet.Itcanevenbesadattimes.Butit’sagreatwaytoseewhat’s there.

aplastic plant

BitsandPieces

WhenIlookedcloseratthetinyplant,Isawthatitwasplastic,too!Itwasoneofthosefakeplantsthatyouputinafishtank.How disappointing!


Mostoftheplasticswefindaretiny.They’recalledmicroplastics.Theyareanypieceofplasticlessthanfivemillimetersinsize.Theplasticishardtoidentifysinceit’slostitsoriginal shape.

Still,webegintomakeconnectionsbetweenbigpiecesofgarbageandmicroplastics.Ononebeach,forexample,wefindthin,plasticthreads.Thethreadswerecomingfromfrayedfishingropes.Whentheropesheatedupinthesun,thethreadsbroke free.  

Thishandfuloftrashismadeupofallsingle‑use plastic.