Ocean pollution and microplastics

Listen 00:48:47

Guest: Chelsea Rochman, Marcus Eriksen

By 2050, scientists warn that there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish.  But it’s not just the bottles, soda rings, flip flops and bags that threaten the marine ecosystem, it’s also microplastics – the tiny particles that shed off when plastic deteriorates in the waves and in the sun.  These microscopic fibers also get rinsed off when we wash our synthetic clothing.  In this hour of Radio Times, we’ll learn about microplastic debris, how it’s affecting the oceans and us.  Marty talks with CHELSEA ROCHMAN, a researcher at the University of California in Davis and the University of Toronto and MARCUS ERIKSEN, Research Director and Co-founder of the 5 Gyres Institute which studies the global distribution and ecological impacts of plastic marine pollution.

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