The Marine Invasions lab studies plastic pollution in our oceans. Plastic pollution is a known danger to marine wildlife as they can become entangled in or eat plastic, causing injury or death. However, did you know that floating plastic can also carry marine animals and plants from one place to another? Scientists have found that some coastal species, carried from land to sea on plastic litter, can survive for not only weeks or months, but even years on these plastic rafts! Our scientists are identifying these animals and plants and are trying to figure out plastic pollutions’ role in carrying organisms around the world.