Synthetic organic polymers—or plastics—did not enter widespread use until the 1950s. By
2015, global production had increased to 322 million metric tons (Mt) year− 1, which …

Microbial cells (ie, bacteria, archaea, microeukaryotes) in oceans secrete a diverse array of
large molecules, collectively called extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) or simply …

Recent studies suggest size-selective removal of small plastic particles from the ocean
surface, an observation that remains unexplained. We studied one of the hypotheses …

Global warming has driven a loss of dissolved oxygen in the ocean in recent decades. We
demonstrate the potential for an additional anthropogenic driver of deoxygenation, in which …

Marine aggregates incorporate particles from the environment, including microplastic (MP).
The characteristics of MP in aggregates and the role of aggregates in linking MP with marine …

For the past 3.8 billion years, the geochemistry of the Earth's surface-its atmosphere, waters
and exposed crust-has been determined by the presence of biota. Photosynthetic organisms …

Understanding the impacts of microplastics (MPs) on aqueous environments requires
understanding their transport dynamics and how their presence affects other natural …

Increasing pollution of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) has caused widespread
concern worldwide. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) are natural organic polymers …

Macroscopic aggregates of detritus, living organisms and inorganic matter known as marine
snow, have significance in the ocean both as unique, partially isolated microenvironments …

It would not have been possible for me to write the three editions of this book without a
double dose of extraordinary fortune: to have been part of the Woods Hole scientific …