You might not think that a plastic water bottle, if tossed into the ocean, could do much harm. but over time, it will eventually break down into an estimated 65,000 pieces of microplastic - tiny pieces that can then be ingested by fish, endangering the fragile ecosystem. A Vermont-based nonprofit has spent much of the summer engaged in a operation to help highlight, and tackle, the problem of ocean debris in the Gulf of Maine.
A nine-strong team, including scientists, volunteers and educators, spent several weeks aboard the 60-foot sailing boat, American Promise, a research vessel operated by the Rozalia Project, an organization dedicated to protecting the ocean. They collected more than 5,000 pieces of trash. Rachael Miller, co-founder of the Rozalia Project, speaks with Maine Things Considered host Tom Porter from Mad River Valley in Vermont.
