Pacific Plastics

After earning his degree, Miguel got a research job aboard a ship sailing across the Pacific Ocean. His mission was to study plastic pollution accumulating in an area known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This region contained high concentrations of marine debris swirling around in ocean currents.

Each day, Miguel used nets to collect water samples. He carefully filtered the water to extract tiny plastic pieces called microplastics. These tiny plastics come from the breakdown of larger plastic objects like bottles and bags. Miguel also collected plastic debris floating on the surface. He documented each item and tracked its location using GPS. 

Over several weeks, Miguel collected thousands of plastic pieces. He found mostly single-use plastics like straws, bottles, and plastic bags. Miguel was sad to see the harmful effects of plastic pollution firsthand. Many animals had eaten or become entangled in the debris. 

One day, while sorting samples on deck, Miguel noticed a beautiful green sea turtle swimming nearby. To his horror, he saw plastic rings wrapped tightly around the turtle's shell and flippers. Miguel quickly jumped into the water and swam after the turtle. Though the turtle tried to swim away, Miguel caught up to it. Moving slowly and gently, he removed the restrictive plastic. The turtle watched Miguel cautiously until finally it was free.