It’s #TrashTalkTuesday 🗑 so let’s talk trash, on trash! . Look closer at the seaweed or sand the next time you’re at the beach and your bound to find them. Tiny pieces of plastic called microplastics, like the pre-production plastic nurdle pellets shown here have made their way into the ocean and along our beaches by traveling through waterways like rivers and streams, down gutters and drainpipes and they have escaped from shipping containers out at sea. Microplastics are any plastic bits less than 5mm long and they’ve been detected in ocean water, waste water, fresh water, food, air, and drinking water both water and tap. These mini plastic particles expose both wildlife and humans to harmful chemicals. They also travel up the food chain, having a toxic effect, reducing animal food intake, delaying growth, possibly causing abnormal behavior in marine wildlife. . Wow! That’s a lot to swallow...so what can we do about it? . Reduce your use of single use plastics like straws and plastic utensils. . Support local legislation that aims at reducing the use of plastics in everyday life. . Recycle and dispose of waste properly. . Participate in or organize a beach cleanup! . Avoid products containing microbeads like certain face scrubs and toothpastes. . Spread the word! Let others know about this ongoing problem and share information on how others can help. . Always leave the beach better than you found it, picking up at least 5 pieces of trash before you leave. . #castateparks #castateparksoc #crystalcovestatepark #crystalcove #trashtalktuesday #marinedebris #microplastics