Physical and Chemical Degradation of Plastics in the Marine Environment

塑料在海洋环境中的持久性和物理化学降解日益被认为是一个重要的问题，尽管人们对此知之甚少，但可能具有广泛的科学和公共影响。为解决这一问题，海洋教育协会(SEA)的一个研究小组将对从太平洋(超过11年)和北大西洋和加勒比海(超过26年)收集的塑料碎片进行环境暴露研究和分析，这些碎片已被海洋教育协会存档。通过这项研究，这些工作人员将解决有关塑料降解和海洋持久性问题的基本问题。因此，支持者能够取得具有全球意义的潜在变革性结果。除了更好地了解塑料在海洋环境中的降解具有更广泛的科学意义外，这项研究还将为培训本科生和K-12教师提供宝贵的机会。

The persistence and physico-chemical degradation of plastics in the marine environment is increasingly recognized as an important though little understood problem with potentially broad scientific and public implications. To address this issue, a research team at the Sea Education Association (SEA) will conduct environmental exposure studies and analysis of plastic debris collected from the Pacific (over 11 years) and North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea (over 26 years) that have been archived by the SEA. With this study, these workers will address basic questions regarding the problem of plastic degradation and persistence in the sea. As such, the proponents are in a position to obtain potentially transformative results that will be of global significance. In addition to the broader scientific significance of an improved understanding of plastics degradation in the marine environment, this study will provide valuable opportunities for training undergraduate students and K-12 teachers.