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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Summary Sentence: Plastic pollution in the ocean: choose your toothpaste!
Full Summary: No summary paragraph submitted.
Plastic PollutionThe use of plastic products has increased steadily since the material was first invented, a little over a century ago, and has boomed in the past 40 years. About 300 million tons of plastic were manufactured in 2013, U.S. being the largest consumer, and less than 10% is recycled. The remaining ends up in landfills and some in rivers, streams and ultimately the ocean. In the marine environment plastic makes up for most of the litter worldwide. It has been found everywhere, from the deep oceans to the Arctic ice. Here I will explain why ocean pollution by plastic debris is such a global phenomenon that interests coastlines, beaches and open ocean waters alike, and I will discuss associated consequences and major threats.
