Captain Charles Moore, a renowned plastics research scientist and veteran seafarer, discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and has spent decades advancing public awareness and science around marine debris. He founded Algalita Marine Research and Education and later The Moore Institute for Plastic Pollution Research, leading groundbreaking studies on ocean plastics.
In his presentation, Plastics, Like Diamonds, Are Forever, Captain Moore shares the story of his 1997 discovery of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and how it led to his pioneering research on microplastics and nanoplastics. He discusses plastics as a solid form of carbon from petroleum, introduces the concept of our “plastic footprint,” and explores how materials can be made “benign by design.” He also examines emerging efforts to understand and address the impacts of plastic pollution on our air, soil, water, and even outer space.
