The ubiquity of plastic in today’s culture has contributed to it being one of the most serious ocean pollution issues of the 21st century. USC Sea Grant is perfectly poised to explore issues of ocean plastic pollution, including pathways, prevention strategies, effects on habitats and wildlife, and ecotoxicology. Further, significant challenges of detecting microplastics, assessing their toxicity, and scalable approaches to mitigating their impacts remain.
Relevant Research
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Principal Investigators:
- Jill Murray, City of Santa Barbara
- Amalia Almada, Ph.D., University of Southern California
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Principal Investigators:
- Theresa Sinicrope Talley, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
- Amalia Aruda Almada, Ph.D., University of Southern California
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Principal Investigators:
- Erika Holland, Ph.D., California State University, Long Beach
- Thornton-Hampton, Ph.D., Southern California Coastal Water Research Project
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Principal Investigators:
- Karen Shapiro, Ph.D., University of California, Davis
- Chelsea Rochman, Ph.D., University of Toronto
Community Engagement
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This report is a synopsis of the current state of research and major policies affecting plastic marine debris in California and serve as an object informational tool for policy makers looking to gain a basic understanding of the current scientific and technical landscape of the issue of plastic marine debris. The report, published in 2011, was produced in partnership with the California Ocean Science Trust and the California Ocean Protection Council.
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Sea Grant’s Island Explorers Program exposes students to marine science and other disciplines through classroom use of curriculum materials. The student-centered science curriculum is characterized by hands-on marine science and uniquely focuses on Southern California coastal environments. Unit Four, Lesson Four, specifically focuses on Marine Debris.
