Plasticus Maritimus

More about the book

Inspired by biologist Ana Pego's life's work, and filled with engaging science and colorful photographs, this foundational look at plastic pollution in the ocean explains why it is such an urgent contemporary issue. When she was young, Ana Pego didn't play in a backyard, but on a beach. She walked along the shore, looked at tide pools, and collected fossils. As she grew older, Pego noticed a new species at the seaside: plastic. She decided to collect it, study it, and give it a Latin name - Plasticus maritimus - to warn people of its dangers to our planet. Pego tells us how plastics end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, shares plastic's chemical composition and physical properties, and offers a field guide to help readers identify and understand this new invasive species in all its forms, from the obvious (fishing nets and water bottles) to the unfamiliar (tiny, clear particles called microplastics).