Invitation to my doctoral defense
Invitation to my doctoral defense avatar

By , on November 14th, 2012 13 comments   Scientist!   , , , ,  

I’ve been mostly absent from the internets lately (with the exception of my very favorite procrastination method, Twitter), but I have 250 pages of a really good excuse. I’ll be defending my doctoral dissertation on 29 November in San Diego. It’s open to the public, so anyone in the area is invited to come on . . . → Read More: Invitation to my doctoral defense

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Plastics expedition departs for North Pacific
Plastics expedition departs for North Pacific avatar

By , on October 3rd, 2012 4 comments   Expeditions, Plastic   , , ,  

My tall-ship-sailing buddies at Sea Education Association are headed out for a special Pacific plastics cruise tomorrow aboard the 134-foot brigantine SSV Robert C. Seamans. (Disclosure: I am totally biased cause I’ve sailed with them twice and think it is the best thing ever. Also, they’re collecting samples for me on this cruise. Thanks . . . → Read More: Plastics expedition departs for North Pacific

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Three Ways of Looking at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Three Ways of Looking at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch avatar

By , on August 20th, 2012 27 comments   Plastic, Reviews, The Basics   , ,  

The real Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Photo by Miriam Goldstein, 2010 EX1006 cruise. O thin men of Haddam, Why do you imagine golden birds? Do you not see how the blackbird Walks around the feet Of the women about you? – “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird”, Wallace Stevens ————- I would like to . . . → Read More: Three Ways of Looking at the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

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How wind-blown Japanese tsunami debris may move across the Pacific
How wind-blown Japanese tsunami debris may move across the Pacific avatar

By , on August 14th, 2012 6 comments   Natural Disaster, Plastic   , , , , , , , ,  

My marine debris buddy Nick Mallos of Ocean Conservancy pointed me to this beautiful animated model by Nikolai Maximenko and Jan Hafner of the University of Hawaii. This animation shows how wind affects the rate at which debris from the Japanese tsunami moves across the Pacific. It is a mathematical model that incorporates a great . . . → Read More: How wind-blown Japanese tsunami debris may move across the Pacific

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Pacific plastic, sea skaters, and the media: behind the scenes of my recent paper
Pacific plastic, sea skaters, and the media: behind the scenes of my recent paper avatar

By , on May 15th, 2012 10 comments   Scientist!   , , , , , ,  

You might have seen the headlines last week: Big rise in North Pacific plastic waste, Plastic in ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ increases 100-fold, Ocean Trash is a Lifesaver for Insects, and so forth. These were based on a paper that I wrote with two co-authors, which came out in Biology Letters last week. Because . . . → Read More: Pacific plastic, sea skaters, and the media: behind the scenes of my recent paper

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Where Do All Your Tinsel And Trappings Go After Christmas?
Where Do All Your Tinsel And Trappings Go After Christmas? avatar

By , on December 26th, 2011 2 comments   Conservation & Environment, Plastic   ,  

Now that the holiday season is over for many of us and all the wrapping and boxes and packaging is stowed away or thrown in the trash, think about where it all goes. Nothing just stays in a land fill forever. Out of sight is never out of mind. Plastic Shores is a new film . . . → Read More: Where Do All Your Tinsel And Trappings Go After Christmas?

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Striking image of plastic pollution in Philippines
Striking image of plastic pollution in Philippines avatar

By , on November 27th, 2011 Leave a comment   Plastic   , ,  

This striking image of plastic pollution in the Philippines won first prize in the Ocean In Focus Conservation Photo Contest. First Prize goes to Peri Paleracio of Quezon City, the Philippines, for his picture of a boat in the Philippines with plastic and trash pollution suspended in the water. This over-under shot illustrates the . . . → Read More: Striking image of plastic pollution in Philippines

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Why you should wash your damn spoon
Why you should wash your damn spoon avatar

By , on August 9th, 2011 3 comments   Plastic   ,  

Poster by Max Temkin, via Grist.  

Talking Trash at Georgia Aquarium Science on Tap
Talking Trash at Georgia Aquarium Science on Tap avatar

By , on May 2nd, 2011 One comment   Plastic, Scientist!   , , , ,  

If you’re in the Atlanta GA area, this Wednesday evening is your chance to drink beer with two of your very favorite Deep Sea News bloggers. Thanks to Dr. Para_Sight, I’ll be speaking about my research on plastic pollution in the North Pacific Gyre at the Georgia Aquarium Science on Tap series. Come learn about . . . → Read More: Talking Trash at Georgia Aquarium Science on Tap

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Plastic pollution on Hawaii’s famed green sand beach
Plastic pollution on Hawaii’s famed green sand beach avatar

By , on April 12th, 2011 One comment   Plastic   , , , ,  

I have a new post up at the SEAPLEX blog (where I put all my marine debris stuff). A couple weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii for the 5th International Conference on Marine Debris. (You can see my tweets at @seaplexscience, or the conference hashtag #5imdc.) This was my third . . . → Read More: Plastic pollution on Hawaii’s famed green sand beach

Plastic pollution on Hawaii’s famed green sand beach avatar