Oceans are filled with millions of tons of plastic. A 2021 study estimated that 80% of it was carried there by rivers. While many ocean-cleaning efforts have focused on trash that’s already made it to the high seas, river cleanups offer a way to intervene sooner. When a plastic bag is swept down a storm
The City of Cape Canaveral, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Stetson University, along with city and county partners are working on a solution to help stop flooding and improve water quality in Cape Canaveral. Researchers say plans include designing and building special channels called bioswales that to redirect stormwater that would cause flooding. Native, water-friendly plants
Marine debris is a global problem that threatens the health and safety of oceans and coastal waterways. Marine debris can damage sensitive habitat that supports fisheries and can harm protected species. Marine debris also has economic impacts. These impacts are felt by those whose livelihoods are linked to the sea, yet in many cases the
A new study from researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology says that nearly 22 million pounds of plastic debris are entering the Great Lakes from the U.S. and Canada each year. Half of that plastic is going into Lake Michigan, followed by Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. The amount of
The “pristine” Charleston estuary waters in South Carolina, are in worse shape than most people think. At least 7- ½ tons worse. That’s how much plastic is estimated to be breaking down in the tide and waves of Charlestown Harbor, its tidal rivers and creeks. The total comes from a study by a research team
Around the world, people dump about 20 million tons of plastic into the ocean every year, much of it in the form of flyaway plastic bags. This waste doesn’t get magically swallowed by the ocean–it lingers indefinitely, posing a threat to marine life and to human health. Picking up garbage in the ocean is an
If there’s a cooler name than the Lynyrd Skymmr for any piece of heavy equipment in America, Jim Stingl would like to hear it. Milwaukee’s river skimmer is back on the water for the season with its rocking moniker. In 2013 the Aquarius Systems’ Trash Hunter collected 1,225 cubic yards of garbage and debris from
The Chautauqua Lake Association in New York, announced that over 15 million pounds of aquatic vegetation and storm debris were removed from the lake this summer. Lake cleanup efforts began in May and continued through September. The CLA is managed by an all-volunteer board of directors and funds the organization receives are used to pay
Located near the tip of the Big Island of Hawaii, the southernmost point of the United States, lies Kamilo beach. Due to the unique currents that run near there, marine debris such as animal carcasses and logs would wash up, making it a prime spot for the native Hawaiians to collect logs for dugout canoes.
A vast majority of the gunk collected by the city in Queensway Bay, from the Catalina Terminal to the Shoreline Marina, comes from the Los Angeles River in California. Starting as far north as the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach’s waters long have been plagued by the urban runoff from cities upstream. In the last