Help keep our ocean clean while participating in citizen science! Learn how to use the Marine Debris Tracker app to collect trash, log it, and track it.

Help keep our ocean clean while participating in citizen science! Learn how to use the Marine Debris Tracker app to collect trash, log it, and track it.

Most of us wear synthetic fabrics like polyester every day. Our dress shirts, yoga pants, fleeces, and even underwear are all increasingly made of synthetic materials -- plastic, in fact. But these synthetic fabrics, from which 60% of all clothing on earth is made, have a big hidden problem: when they're washed, they release tiny plastic bits -- called microfibers -- that flow down our drains, through water treatment plants, and out into our rivers, lakes and oceans by the billions.

This 2-minute "explainer" shows how tiny plastic microbeads are designed to go down the drain and into our rivers, lakes, and oceans and we can do to stop this ridiculous assault on our public waters.

Wherever land and water comes together, you are likely to find a wetland. These complex ecosystems provide habitat for wildlife, protect our coastlines from flooding, store massive amounts of carbon in their soils, and offer great recreational opportunities. Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, Ariana Sutton-Grier, and their colleagues at the University of Maryland's Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) are learning about threats to wetland ecosystems and working to find solutions.

Environmental Justice and Wetland Restoration at the Lower 9th: "What would happen if another hurricane as devastating as Katrina hits New Orleans again? How it will most likely affect once again the most impoverished, underprivileged and marginalized communities? Who live[s] in these communities?"

This video describes the restoration of Long Creek, a small watershed of Casco Bay, in southern Maine, that was impaired because of runoff from impervious surfaces. The watershed is being restored using a collective stormwater permitting approach which was applied to raise revenue for stormwater treatment systems (BMPs). This innovative approach stemmed from results of watershed assessments, and determination by EPA under the residual designation authority of the Clean Water Act.

The most popular strategy to counter [erosion] is a process called beach nourishment. Coastal engineers will add new sand to an eroding beach in order to rebuild or expand the shoreline. Watch the video above to learn more about how beach nourishments can help defend the coast but are problematic as a long-term solution.

This conference brings you state-of-the-art of research on micro- and nanoplastics, plastic additives, and health. Prominent scientists from all over the world will inform conference attendees on the latest findings in engaging, succinct science talks.

This conference brings you state-of-the-art of research on micro- and nanoplastics, plastic additives, and health. Prominent scientists from all over the world will inform conference attendees on the latest findings in engaging, succinct science talks.