This blog was written by Hannah De Frond. Hannah works with Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team to manage the International Trash Trap Network (ITTN), a global network of local groups using trash traps to increase cleanup efforts, engage communities and inform upstream solutions.
During coastal cleanup events, no matter where you are in the world, chances are you’ll encounter plastic items like bottles, bottle caps, straws and packaging. However, plastic fragments that are smaller and more difficult to see may be difficult to see within the sand or soil.
Plastic fragments are small hard pieces of plastic, typically formed as larger plastic items that break up in the environment. As plastics are exposed to sunlight, waves and winds, they become brittle, crack and break into pieces. With each item of plastic that enters the environment, there is the potential for it to break into hundreds or even thousands of fragments. Due to its small, lightweight nature, each fragment moves differently in the environment and can have a totally different fate. Some fragments get washed into the ocean and float on the surface or sink to the ocean floor, some become buried in a sandy beach, and some are blown further afield with strong winds.
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Plastic fragments are found in many environments, including lakes, rivers, terrestrial sediments and coastal marine environments. Plastic fragments are removed each year in the “tiny trash” collected during Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup®. They are among the top 10 items reported by groups in the International Trash Trap Network, an initiative co-led by Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto Trash Team, using technologies to clean up our waterways.
One study in Brazil found 2,661 fragments in a 100-meter section of beach. Plastic fragments are also frequently reported in studies of plastic ingestion by wildlife such as fish, seabirds and turtles. Ingested plastic fragments can cause tissue damage and inflammation and can concentrate harmful chemical pollutants which have the potential to leach out inside the gut, negatively impacting animal health.
Just like other large plastic items, plastic fragments also undergo environmental weathering which causes them to break apart into even smaller pieces—microplastics (<5mm) and eventually into nanoplastics (<100nm). These micro- and nano-sized fragments are frequently found in the environment and, due to their size, are easily ingested by wildlife. One analysis of scientific research to date revealed that fragments are ingested by 19% of fish globally.
To reduce plastic fragment pollution, we need to tackle the problem at the source by reducing the production and use of larger plastic items, like single-use plastics, from which fragments are generated. This includes commonly used polluting items like plastic bottles, straws, food containers, cups and plates. By reducing our plastic waste, reusing as much as possible and recycling when possible, we can, collectively, have a huge impact.
Both Ocean Conservancy and the University of Toronto are deeply committed to ridding our ocean and planet of insidious and harmful plastic pollution through efforts like the International Trash Trap Network and the International Coastal Cleanup. Please join us in ensuring that our ocean and waterways are not overrun by microplastics or any form of plastic pollution.
The post The Truth About Plastic Fragments appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
This fall, Ocean Conservancy is celebrating its 41st annual International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC), once again bringing together volunteers to protect the beaches and waterways we all love. Ocean Conservancy recently hosted flagship events in Long Beach and Washington, D.C. that celebrated this global movement close to home.
Over the past four decades, nearly 20 million volunteers have rolled up their sleeves to remove more than 405 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways around the world. And their impact extends far beyond what they collect. ICC volunteers have documented nearly 440 million individual items, creating the world’s largest marine debris database and providing invaluable information that helps Ocean Conservancy and others better understand—and tackle—ocean plastic pollution.
This year’s celebration continued that incredible legacy. At Alamitos Beach in Southern California, more than 150 volunteers gathered on September 19 and removed 1,109 pounds of trash, alongside members of Team USA Artistic Swimming and Olympic and Paralympic athletes. In Washington, D.C., 439 volunteers gathered on September 26 to remove 2,182 pounds of trash from Anacostia Park along the Anacostia River.
“I am so grateful to all of the volunteers who came out today for our ocean—and every volunteer who has made the last 41 years of impact possible,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups, Allison Schutes. “Every piece of plastic collected helps protect marine animals and habitats and contributes to research and advocacy.”
And the impact doesn’t stop when the cleanup ends. During International Coastal Cleanup events, volunteers do more than remove trash: They document what they find, helping build a clearer picture of the plastic pollution threatening our waterways and wildlife. Through the Clean Swell® app or paper data sheets, ICC volunteers contribute to Ocean Conservancy’s online, open-access database, the world’s largest repository of marine debris data. These records help scientists, conservation groups and governments understand pollution trends and identify solutions.
That data can also drive meaningful policy change. ICC data were recently used in a peer-reviewed study showing that plastic bag bans lead to reduced plastic bag pollution. The data have also helped advance policies ranging from California’s SB 54 to Florida’s balloon release ban and the federal Farewell to Foam Act. From a neighborhood cleanup to statewide action, every piece of documented trash helps build the evidence needed to tackle plastic pollution at its source.
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Want to get involved?
Whether you join a local cleanup, record the trash you find using the Clean Swell app, or take action to reduce plastic pollution, you can be part of this incredible collective effort to protect our ocean. Here are a few ways to make an impact:
- Find a cleanup near you.
- Download our Clean Swell app to easily record the trash you collect.
- Take action to reduce plastic pollution.
- Explore our Wildlife Impact Calculator to estimate the potential benefits of your cleanup for marine wildlife.
- Donate today to Ocean Conservancy to help us fight plastic pollution for years to come!
The post Celebrating 41 Years of the International Coastal Cleanup® appeared first on Ocean Conservancy.
For generations, stories of people being swallowed by enormous sea creatures have painted awe-inspiring tales of human survival and perseverance. From the biblical account of Jonah to the legendary battle of Hercules and Cetus to the timeless story of Pinocchio, these legendary tales have captivated people since time immemorial.
But all these stories raise the question: Could someone really be swallowed by a whale? With the premiere of the film Whalefall on October 16, 2026, you may find yourself in conversations about this very situation. Based on the bestselling 2023 thriller authored by Daniel Kraus, the film tells the story of a scuba diver who is accidentally gobbled up by a sperm whale while searching for the remains of his late father. With only an hour of oxygen left in his tank, the diver must fight to escape the whale’s gut before time runs out.
The answer to whether it’s anatomically possible for a whale to swallow a person is actually a bit more complicated than you might think.