Over-educated and Underfunded
Weird, wacky and wonderful stories and sketches from biologists in the field.
By Vincent DiringerPrior to working in the field of conservation in South-East Asia, I had not been physically confronted with the amount of plastic waste and pollution that was floating around the world’s oceans. I had read the reports, seen the pictures and videos, but never seen it in person - so my first coastal cleanup really struck a chord. There was just so much trash. Shoes, nets, plastic bags, straws, bottles, barrels. These cleanups became somewhat cathartic, they were also often a wake-up call for those who came to help out, as one group of students found out by finding food packaging inscribed with a use-by date that revealed it was older than they were. For them, the thought that this one specific plastic item had spent more time floating in the ocean and degrading than it had spent being used was a sobering moment. The message was clear - plastics do not biodegrade. Unfortunately these types of experiences weren’t few and far between. We could spend over an hour collecting hundreds of kilos of plastic waste from a single beach, only to return several days later and have the same amount washed back onto shore, this time coated in oil. However, coasts weren’t the only ecosystems affected. While on diving or snorkelling trips, we would find large swathes of reef covered by ghost nets, or discover a jumbled mess of commercial fishing apparatus encrusted in barnacles floating just below the surface. The environmental damage that this plastic was causing was evident, and the need to address plastic pollution on a large scale never seemed more pressing. Plastics can break down into smaller microplastics which are then ingested by all living organisms in the ocean – that is if they aren’t swallowed whole by sea birds, turtles, whales and other large sea creatures. However, these microplastics don’t just affect the oceans. Food webs ensure that within any environment there is constant predation, this means that through a process called biomagnification, the amount of microplastics found in organisms increases the further you travel up the food chain – eventually reaching us. There are many new environmentally friendly options available to reduce your reliance on single-use appliances that generate more waste and harm than they do convenience. Make the smart choice when it comes to plastics and remember the Six Rs:
While I’m far away from the shores of South-East Asia nowadays, the experiences of those coastal cleanups have stuck with me - both physically and mentally. As a reminder of my first cleanup, I have kept one of the hundred commercial fishing weights that littered the beach that day. It now sits on my desk as a constant reminder as to why I’ve decided to dedicate my career to sustainability and the environment.
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About the AuthorsThese stories come from several biologists working in the field around the globe. Archives
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