Project: Physical and Chemical Degradation of Plastics in the Marine Environment

NSF Abstract:

The persistence and physico-chemical degradation of plastics in the marine environment is increasingly recognized as an important though little understood problem with potentially broad scientific and public implications. To address this issue, a research team at the Sea Education Association (SEA) will conduct environmental exposure studies and analysis of plastic debris collected from the Pacific (over 11 years) and North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea (over 26 years) that have been archived by the SEA. With this study, these workers will address basic questions regarding the problem of plastic degradation and persistence in the sea. As such, the proponents are in a position to obtain potentially transformative results that will be of global significance. In addition to the broader scientific significance of an improved understanding of plastics degradation in the marine environment, this study will provide valuable opportunities for training undergraduate students and K-12 teachers.