Trashing the Ocean

On a clear spring day at Crystal Cove State Park, UC Irvine professor William Cooper, Ph.D., and undergraduate Tova Handelman sift though a mound of seaweed and sand, oblivious to the curious stares of beachgoers. They're too busy studying trash.

"Look at all this plastic!" says Cooper, picking out a pellet no bigger than a grain of rice from his growing pile. "This is a 'nurdle.' They're used to make plastic products. They shouldn't be on the beach, but if you look closely, they're all over."

Trashing the Ocean [ZotZine, Vol. II, Iss. 9: June 2010]