This richly illustrated book serves as the ideal guide to the items that litter the world’s beaches. Forget sea shells and other fauna and flora. Here, you will find what a beachcomber is actually most likely to encounter these days: glass, plastic, wood, metal, paper, oil, and other sources of marine pollution! Complete with nearly 700 photographs, this guide shows the full range of marine debris items, each presented with insight and a pinch of humor. In addition, the author provides full details about these items. You will learn everything worth knowing about them. This includes not just their sources and decomposition stages. Discover the threat each item poses to these beautiful environments as well as prevention strategies, clean-up recommendations, alternative products, and recycling and upcycling ideas. Beyond the aesthetic issue, marine debris poses a threat to wildlife, human health, and economic welfare. This book arms you with the knowledge you need to combat these disgraceful and often hazardous eyesores. Become a beach detective! Travel the world’s most beloved tourist destinations with this ultimate beach read and help restore these fascinating environments to their natural beauty.

This richly illustrated book serves as the ideal guide to the items that litter the world's beaches. Forget sea shells and other fauna and flora. Here, you will find what a beachcomber is actually most likely to encounter these days: glass, plastic, wood, metal, paper, oil, and other sources of marine pollution! Complete with nearly 700 photographs, this guide shows the full range of marine debris items, each presented with insight and a pinch of humor. In addition, the author provides full details about these items. You will learn everything worth knowing about them. This includes not just their sources and decomposition stages. Discover the threat each item poses to these beautiful environments as well as prevention strategies, clean-up recommendations, alternative products, and recycling and upcycling ideas. Beyond the aesthetic issue, marine debris poses a threat to wildlife, human health, and economic welfare. This book arms you with the knowledge you need to combat these disgraceful and often hazardous eyesores. Become a beach detective! Travel the world's most beloved tourist destinations with this ultimate beach read and help restore these fascinating environments to their natural beauty.

There is a growing concern over the ubiquitous distribution of plastic pollution that is evolving in the Beaufort Gyre in the Arctic Ocean, prompting international collaboration and new environmental measures. Marine pollution is recognised as an immediate threat to both land and marine ecosystems. Satellites have proven useful in identifying ocean plastic patches and current movements in other oceans but little research has been applied to the Arctic, a region that impacts eight countries making up the Arctic Circle. This interdisciplinary team project investigates the use of Sentinel-2, Sentinel-6, Fourier-Transform Spectroscopy, stratospheric balloons and autonomous underwater vehicles to provide an integrated strategy, including communication and outreach, to tackling marine plastic pollution while recognizing that it is necessary to also prevent plastics from entering the ocean in the first place.

Describes the work of a man who tracks trash as it travels great distances by way of ocean currents.

Selected by The New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of the Year A revelatory tale of science, adventure, and modern myth. When the writer Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers, and read up on Arctic science and geography. But questions can be like ocean currents: wade in too far, and they carry you away. Hohn's accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive world of shipping conglomerates, the daring work of Arctic researchers, the lunatic risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy world of Chinese toy factories. Moby-Duck is a journey into the heart of the sea and an adventure through science, myth, the global economy, and some of the worst weather imaginable. With each new discovery, Hohn learns of another loose thread, and with each successive chase, he comes closer to understanding where his castaway quarry comes from and where it goes. In the grand tradition of Tony Horwitz and David Quammen, Moby-Duck is a compulsively readable narrative of whimsy and curiosity.

A description of the creatures and features of marine life in the Pacific Northwest. From seaweed and barnacles to snails and starfish, the guide uses photographs and text to point out organisms that a beachcomber is likely to encounter.

Immerse yourself in the beachcombing experience; the wind in your face, the smell of salt spray, the roar of the ocean; it’s an assault on the senses, the perfect tonic. From time immemorial people have been drawn to the beach to collect practical resources as well as mysterious objects that have fuelled myth and folklore – it is our inherent hunter-gatherer instinct. The beach strandline is also a wildlife habitat, home to a unique community of plants and animals, many found nowhere else. They create a rich and ever-changing oasis of life in the otherwise harsh environment of the beach. Whether you are a seasoned beachcomber, a casual visitor or an enthusiastic naturalist, this book is for you. It will satisfy your curiosity about each treasure found cast up on the beach, be it a pretty seashell or an exotic ocean voyager. ​​​​​​​• Descriptions of common and rare beach finds, both natural and man-made • Clear photographs showing objects and species as found on the strandline and in their natural habitat • Suggestions for family activities related to beachcombing • A comprehensive account of the living flora and fauna of the beach strandline • Information on threats and conservation measures for the marine and coastal environment

This updated guide provides the latest findings about the biology and ecology of the Gulf of Mexico.

As the owner of one of the world's most elaborate sea glass collections, Mary Beth Beuke gets to talk about these prized ocean gems on a daily basis. Unfortunately, with each passing day, sea glass becomes more and more difficult to find, making the hunt more of a challenge to the seeker—especially one with limited experience in sea glass hunting. There are several reasons why the hunt is so important to the sea glass seeker. Some find their Zen moments in the solitude and beauty of the hunt. Some collect to add color to their lives. The history, mystery, and discovery of sea glass are also strong forces that draw collectors to shorelines around the world, looking for these pieces of physically and chemically weathered frosted glass. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn about and start your own collection of sea glass, the window for doing so is closing as pieces are becoming more elusive due to a growth in sea glass popularity and a decrease in recent glass bottle production. In The Ultimate Guide to Sea Glass: Beach Comber’s Edition, Beuke provides information that will help first-time seekers start new collections and veteran hunters learn more about their current sets. Take this manual with you as you search for your own collection and make notes about what you find along the way.