As plastic erodes, it releases chemicals into the environment, and because mass use of plastics is relatively new, scientists dont quite know the implications of all these chemicals on the human body or the ecosystem.

PANAMA CITY The worlds most beautiful beaches are experiencing an apocalypse an apocalypse of plastic.

Kurt Cox, a geologist, writer and Panama City native, has spent the last three years combing the shores of the Panhandle all 70 miles from Destin to Port St. Joe collecting all the plastic debris he can find. Hes done the loop three times, including the shores along the Bay and marshes, and has collected a total of almost 6,000 pounds of trash.

Ive spent a lot of time by myself out there, and sometimes I get a little disgusted with humanity when Im out doing a beach cleanup, he said.

Cox didnt set out to become a one-man cleanup operation, he said during a recent Citizen Scientist talk at Gulf Coast State College. Hes always liked walking the beaches, and one day, when out on Redfish Point, he came across an unsightly pile of plastic.

I thought, 'Ill pick up this trash today so I dont need need to look at it next week,' Cox recalled.

Sure enough, when he returned, that section of beach was still clean. Unfortunately, once he walked a little farther down, he found more trash. He cleaned up that spot, too. And then the next spot, and the next, until hed covered the whole stretch of beach on his own.

I got into my mind that I was going to clean up every bit of beach on our local beaches, he said.

But being a scientist, Cox doesnt just pick up the plastic and throw it away; he documents it. Every piece he has collected going back to 2012 is detailed in a spreadsheet, outlining what it was, where he found it and a photo. Its so detailed that other scientists have contacted him, asking to see his research.

I can pretty much go back and re-create how many pounds of plastic marine debris came from how many yards of beach, he said.

But theres plenty of other trash on the beach glass bottles, aluminum cans, etc. Why focus on only plastic?

A few reasons, Cox answered. First, glass and aluminum are natural materials. Glass erodes down to sand, and aluminum is an element and wont necessarily harm the environment the way plastic does.

Plastic is different, he said. Plastic is a man-made thing. Its oil and natural gas, so its not really natural for it to be out in our oceans.

As plastic erodes, it releases chemicals into the environment, and because mass use of plastics is relatively new, scientists dont quite know the implications of all these chemicals on the human body or the ecosystem. Plastic, inevitably, is entering the food chain, either through curious fish nibbling away at cups or balloons floating in the ocean, or through larger plastics eroding down into microplastic, which is then invariably eaten by plankton-consuming fish.

If its getting into the food chain, its getting into us, he said.

Everyone who goes out on the beaches or out on the water contributes to the amount of plastic that washes up on shore, but not all of it is local. Cox regularly finds items from Venezuela, the Caribbean andHaiti, among others. His farthest traveler is a table salt container from Morocco. That being said, there are some groups who contribute more than others, like recreational and commercial fishermen losing lures, nets, lobster tags, knives, fish scrapers and snuff packaging. He finds lots of dust masks and earplugs near the paper mill. Children, with their plastic toys and forgetful nature, are another big culprit.

Cox has gotten so good at identifying plastic debris, he can tell how long its been floating, based on sun exposure, barnacles and the distinct diamond-shaped bite marks from sea turtles. Different items also tend to accumulate in different places, like cigarette butts at Deep Water Point and rubber bands near Pier Park.

If I look at a pile of trash, I can most likely tell what beach it was picked up at, he said.

To share his finds and raise awareness of the sheer amount of plastic hes finding, Cox runs the Beach Plastic Apocalypse Facebook page. As for what people can do to reduce the amount of plastic getting into the oceans, he has a few simple tips use less plastic, especially single-use plastic; keep control of the plastics you do use; and next time youre at the beach, pick up any plastic you see around you.

Originally posted here:

Panama City native on quest to rid beaches of plastic - The News Herald