An Introduction to World Environment Day On June 5th ,1972, the first-ever global conference that put international environmental issues at the forefront, took place in Stockholm, Sweden. The “Conference on the Human Environment” gathered ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Work & Life
Plastic is seemingly everywhere these days, including many items we see or use during the holidays. Maia McGuire, UF/IFAS Extension associate director for Florida Sea Grant, is an expert on plastic waste and microplastic pollution. She ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Work & Life
Plastic pollution has been a known problem for decades, but more recently researchers have been focusing on this idea of microplastics, that is, plastic particles about 5mm in size or smaller. Where do microplastics come from? What are the threats? ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources
Virtually all of the plastic ever produced has been created since WWII. Prior to that, plastic products and packaging as we know them did not exist. Products made from plastic dominate our lives, and in many ways have improved the quality ... READ MORE
Category: Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
That plastic bottle that you saw floating ashore will eventually enter our food chain. This is Part 2 of a blog series covering plastic pollution in Earth's oceans. Read Part 1 here. Impacts on climate change Oil, gas, and coal are the fossil-fuel ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, Natural Resources, Water, WildlifePlanet Earth's Ocean has got 5 trillion problems and it’s all plastic. What is plastic From the Greek πλαστικος (plastikos), the term “plastics” literally means “fit for molding”. Plastic derives from cellulose and fossil ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Water, Wildlife
Do you know what the most prevalent type of marine debris we found in our ocean is? Plastics! Plastic debris can come in all shapes and sizes, but those that are less than five millimeters in length are called “microplastics.” Last Water ... READ MORE
Category: Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, Water
Almost every single piece of plastic ever made still exists. As an alternative to the traditional plastics, we are hearing a new term more and more often - bioplastics. Are bioplastics better? Dr. Maia McGuire answered this question in the last ... READ MORE
Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water