THERE are currently at least five large gyres of
trash circling the world’s oceans, mostly com-posed
of discarded single-use plastics. The refuse
circulates into masses that swirl all the way down
to the ocean floor. Microplastics, the most alarming of the
debris, are consumed by fish, whales and even plankton.
There is little doubt that people who consume fish as a
regular part of their diet are also ingesting these very same
microplastics.
This is not solvable in the short-term, and not one non-profit
nor one government agency can remedy the issue. It’s
a global challenge that can seem overwhelming. But Bonnie
Monteleone isn’t letting the immensity of the issue keep
her from acting. The Wilmington woman has taken up the
fight, and she’s doing more than just her share.
Monteleone has traveled some 10,000 nautical miles
researching the problem and sampling the amount of plastic
trash in the sea.
“After you witness what I witnessed, I would be doing a
disservice to mankind if I just said, ‘well that was terrible,’
and moved on,” Monteleone says.
Bonnie Monteleone’s sculpture “Spin the Fin Blue Marlin”
is made of trash collected offshore and from the beach.
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C H A N G E
P L A ST I C O CEA N P R OJ E CT ’ S B O NN I E M O NT ELEONE
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