ORCID

Abstract

A voyage through plastic oceans. Richard Thompson applauds a chronicle alerting the world to marine polymer pollution. The story of a voyage bearing witness to plastic pollution in the oceans, Junk Raft is a stimulating, thought-provoking and factually grounded read. Science educator and researcher Marcus Eriksen’s navigational feat is gripping — 88 days crossing some 4,000 kilometres of open ocean between Los Angeles and Hawaii, on a raft crafted from 15,000 plastic bottles lashed into fishing nets. But it is more. Woven through the chronicle are two equally fascinating storylines: of Eriksen’s evolution from soldier to head of the environmental non-profit 5 Gyres Institute, and of a journey that we all need to take toward a more sustainable use of plastics.

DOI

10.1038/547278a

Publication Date

2017-01-01

Publication Title

Nature

Volume

547

Issue

7663

ISSN

0028-0836

Embargo Period

2023-10-03

First Page

278

Last Page

279

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