Plasticus Maritimus

Honorable Mention--Bologna Ragazzi Award

There's an invasive species in our oceans: Plasticus maritimus. It's a threat to our world. What is it? What can we do about it?

When she was young, biologist Ana P go didn't play in a backyard, but on a beach. She walked along the shore, looked at tide pools, and collected fossils. As she grew older, P go noticed a new species at the seaside: plastic. She decided to collect it, study it, and give it a Latin name--Plasticus maritimus--to warn people of its dangers to our planet.

Inspired by P go's life's work, and filled with engaging science and colorful photographs, this foundational look at ocean plastics explains why they are such an urgent contemporary issue. P go tells us how plastics end up in our rivers, lakes, and oceans, shares plastic's chemical composition and physical properties, and offers a field guide to help readers identify and understand this new invasive species in all its form > s, from the obvious (fishing nets and water bottles) to the unfamiliar (tiny, clear particles called microplastics). Finally, she offers a critical look at our current "solutions" to plastic contamination and in her most important proposal--REVOLUTIONIZE--calls for deep changes in our habits, motivating young and old alike to make a difference, together. An artificial and almost indestructible species, Plasticus maritimus deserves to have its days numbered Together, we can send it packing.

Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute.