The littlest things can have an enormous impact. And so it is with plastics in our ocean. Most of us are familiar with the “trash islands” of the open ocean, circulating in gyres, such as the Western and Eastern Pacific Garbage Patches. Roughly 280 million tons of plastic is produced each year, with over five million metric tons entering the ocean annually.

But for all the damage caused to birds and other marine life, what we can’t see is far worse. The vast majority of marine plastic is smaller than five millimeters and much of that is microscopic. It is found from the surface to the ocean floor, entering the food web and concentrating as it moves up the food chain. Plastic is now a common part of our diet.

As is often the case, the cause can become part of the solution. Enter Dr. Jenni Brandon from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and UCSD. Dr. Brandon is at the forefront of research to quantify the problem and, as her work has evolved, identify ways that we—governments, scientists, and individuals—can make a positive difference. Jenni Brandon’s engaging and powerful presentation will give us both a greater understanding and an action plan to be better stewards of our Earth and its wildlife.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Social: 6:30 p.m.
Walk & Trip Information: 6:45 p.m.
Program: 7:00 p.m.

There will be no speaker in December.