News

The Following Seas Basking Trawl: Our Plastic-Free Microplastics Trawl
The Following Seas Basking Trawl: Our Plastic-Free Microplastics Trawl
We have completed the prototype for our plastic-free microplastics trawl. We have named it after the basking shark, which uses its large round mouth to filter feed--just as our round... Read more...
EPA Labels Microplastics as a “Priority Contaminant Group” But Significant Challenges Remain
EPA Labels Microplastics as a “Priority Contaminant Group” But Significant Challenges Remain
While several federal laws allow the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take steps to address microplastics in the marine environment, the EPA has not prioritized microplastics research in recent... Read more...
A Conundrum: The Necessity of Using Plastics to Study Marine Microplastics Pollution
A Conundrum: The Necessity of Using Plastics to Study Marine Microplastics Pollution
Studying marine microplastics pollution presents a conundrum: It necessarily involves the use of plastics. While we cannot avoid using plastics entirely, we can take steps to mitigate our contributions to... Read more...
Why Do We Need to Study Microplastics?
Why Do We Need to Study Microplastics?
The first plastics were invented in the mid-1800s, and they have been polluting our waters since that time. Yet, the term “microplastics” wasn’t introduced until 2004, and the first scientific... Read more...
Plastics and Microplastics Are (Almost) Everywhere
Plastics and Microplastics Are (Almost) Everywhere
Microplastics are a global problem. They are found throughout the world’s offshore and inland waters, from lakes and rivers to beaches and the middle of the ocean. While microplastics are... Read more...
Getting to Work: Building Our First Microplastics Trawl
Getting to Work: Building Our First Microplastics Trawl
Work has officially begun on our Summer 2026 Pilot Study. We are building the first trawl that we will use to collect marine microplastics samples in the Charleston, SC area's inland... Read more...