A rising tide of beach garbage plagues local wildlife. Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it.

“);
$spagination = flexSlider.find(“.spagination”);
SPagination.Init($spagination.get( 0 ), {
size: slide_obj.count, // pages size
page: 1, // selected page
step: 3, // pages before and after current
cb: function(p){
flexSlider.flexAnimate(p-1, true);
}
});
}
}
}

function gtx_gallery_slide_before(slide_obj){
var slide=slide_obj.animatingTo;
$active_slide=$all_slides.eq(slide) ;
slideshow_ad_loaded = false;

var current_html = $active_slide.children(“.gtx-ad-container”).html();
if (current_html) {$active_slide.children(“.gtx-ad-container”).html(current_html.trim())}

gtx_track_slide( slide_obj );

changeURL(parseInt($active_slide.attr(“data-attachment_id”)));

//THUMBS SYNC – PAGINATED THUMBNAIL NAVIGATION
if($thumbs!==”” && navigation == “paginated_thumbs”){
var right_item=$slider.find(“.slides li[data-i=”+(slide +1 )+”]”).attr(“data-i-only-pics”)
if( right_item!= “”){
$thumbs.find(“li.gtx-thumb-img”).removeClass(“flex-active-slide”);
$thumbs.find(“li.gtx-thumb-img[data-i=”+(slide +1 )+”]”).addClass(“flex-active-slide”);
$page=$thumbs.find(“.slides>li”).has(“li[data-i=”+(slide +1 )+”]”);
$thumbs.flexAnimate($page.index(), true);
}
}
}

function gtx_gallery_slide_after(slide_obj){
var slide=slide_obj.animatingTo;
$active_slide=$all_slides.eq(slide) ;

if($active_slide.hasClass(“gtx-ad-slide”)==1){
if ($active_slide.find(‘iframe’).length === 1) {
$active_slide.find(‘iframe’)[0].remove();
}
$slider.delay(100).queue(function(){
$(this).addClass(“gtx-gallery-loading”).dequeue();
});
$ad_container=$active_slide.children(“.gtx-ad-container”).first();

if ($($ad_container).html().length li[data-i=”+(slide +1 )+”]”).attr(“data-i-only-pics”)
if( right_item!= “”){
$thumbs.find(“li.gtx-thumb-img”).removeClass(“flex-active-slide”);
$thumbs.find(“li.gtx-thumb-img”).eq(right_item -1 ).addClass(“flex-active-slide”);
$thumbs.flexAnimate(right_item-1, true);
}
}

if(typeof(googletag) != “undefined” && googletag !== null && googletag.pubads){
// Refresh ads within view

var tmp_now=new Date().getTime();
var last_refresh_diff= tmp_now – last_ad_refresh;
if(last_refresh_diff > 1000){
reset_ads_and_refresh();
last_ad_refresh=tmp_now;
}
}

//LAZY LOAD
range=5;
var $slides_to_hanle=$all_slides.slice(slide, slide + range +1);
if(slide – range >= 0){
$slides_to_hanle=$.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_slides.slice(slide – range, slide ));
}else{
$slides_to_hanle=$.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_slides.slice(0, range ));
$slides_to_hanle=$.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_slides.slice(range * -1 ));
}
if(slide + range >= $all_slides.size()){
//handle first slides
$slides_to_hanle= $.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_slides.slice(0,range));

}

$slides_to_hanle.find(“.gtx-image-container[data-background]”).each(function () {
var src = $(this).attr(“data-background”);
$(this).css(“background-image”, “url(“+src+”)”).removeAttr(“data-background”);
});

adjustNavHeight();
if( typeof SPagination !== “undefined” && flexSlider.find(“.spagination”).length>0 ){
if(SPagination.page != slide+1){
SPagination.page = slide + 1;
SPagination.Start();
}
}

}

function reset_ads_and_refresh(){
if(!advanced_ad_refresh){
// if option is not enabled, refresh all ads, minus out of page ads
if(ads_to_refresh.length > 0){
googletag.pubads().refresh(ads_to_refresh);
}
return;
}

if(ads_to_refresh.length == 0){
return;
}

var newAds = [];
var fullAdsToRefresh = [];
for(var i = 0; i wTop && slot.tn_positionY 8){
gtx_gallery_thumbs_set_backwards()
}
}

function gtx_gallery_thumbs_after(slide_obj){
if(slide_obj.count > 8){
gtx_gallery_thumbs_set_backwards()
}
}

function gtx_gallery_paginated_thumbs_start(slide_obj){
gtx_gallery_paginated_thumbs_lazy();
if(false && slide_obj.count > 8){
$thumbs.find(“.flex-control-nav.flex-control-paging”).removeClass(“flex-control-paging”).addClass(“g-pagination”);
}
if(slide_obj.count > 8){
$thumbs.find(“.flex-control-nav.flex-control-paging”).hide().after(“”);
$pagination = $thumbs.find(“.spagination”);
SPagination.Init($pagination.get( 0 ), {
size: slide_obj.count, // pages size
page: 1, // selected page
step: 3, // pages before and after current
cb: function(p){
$thumbs.flexAnimate(p-1, true);
}
});
}
}

function gtx_gallery_paginated_thumbs_before(slide_obj){
var slide=(typeof slide_obj == “object” && slide_obj.animatingTo ? slide_obj.animatingTo : 0);
gtx_gallery_paginated_thumbs_lazy(slide_obj);

}

function gtx_gallery_paginated_thumbs_after(slide_obj){
var slide=(typeof slide_obj == “object” && slide_obj.animatingTo ? slide_obj.animatingTo : 0);
//THUMBS SYNC – Go to first slide of this batch
if($thumbs!==”” && navigation == “paginated_thumbs”){

var $active_slide=$slider.find(“.slides>li.flex-active-slide”);
var $active_thumb_page=$thumbs.find(“.slides>li.flex-active-slide”);
//Check if the current slide is within this thumb batch
if(!$active_thumb_page.find(“li[data-i=”+$active_slide.attr(“data-i”)+”]”).size()){
first_thumb=$active_thumb_page.find(“li”).first().attr(“data-i”);
flexSlider.flexAnimate(first_thumb – 1, true);
}

}

if( typeof SPagination !== “undefined” && $thumbs.find(“.spagination”).length>0 ){
if(SPagination.page != slide+1){
SPagination.page = slide + 1;
SPagination.Start();
}
}

}

function gtx_gallery_paginated_thumbs_lazy(slide_obj){
var slide=(typeof slide_obj == “object” && slide_obj.animatingTo ? slide_obj.animatingTo : 0);
//LAZY LOAD THUMBS
if($all_thumbs!==”” && navigation == “paginated_thumbs”){
range=1;
var $slides_to_hanle=$all_thumbs.slice(slide, slide + range + 1);
if(slide – range >= 0){
$slides_to_hanle=$.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_thumbs.slice(slide – range, slide ));
}else{
$slides_to_hanle=$.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_thumbs.slice(0, range ));
$slides_to_hanle=$.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_thumbs.slice(range * -1 ));
}
if(slide + range >= $all_thumbs.size()){
//handle first slides
$slides_to_hanle= $.merge($slides_to_hanle, $all_thumbs.slice(0,range));

}
$slides_to_hanle.each(function () {
$(this).find(“img[lazy-src]”).each(function () {
var src = $(this).attr(“lazy-src”);
if(!src) return;
$(this).attr(“src”,src).removeAttr(“lazy-src”);
$thumbs.find(“img[lazy-src=””+src+””]”).attr(“src”,src).removeAttr(“lazy-src”);
});
});
}

}

function adjustNavHeight(){
imageHeight = flexSlider.find(“.gtx-slide-img.flex-active-slide .gtx-image-container”).outerHeight();
if(imageHeight > 0){
flexSlider.find(“.flex-prev,.flex-next”).css(“top”,Math.round(imageHeight/2));
}
}

var nextSlotId = 1;
function generateNextSlotName() {
var id = nextSlotId++;
return “adslot_” + id+”_”+Math.floor( Date.now() / 1000 );
}

function addAdInto(selector,options) {
try{
gtx_gallery_enable_dfp();
}catch(err) {
}

var slide=options.slide || -1;
var slotName = generateNextSlotName();
var ad_index = 0;

// Create a div for the slot
var slotDiv = document.createElement(‘div’);
slotDiv.id = slotName; // Id must be the same as slotName
$( selector ).append( slotDiv );
try{
ad_index=$( selector ).closest(“.gtx-ad-slide”).attr(“data-i-only-ads”);
}catch(err) {

}

// Define the slot itself, call display() to
// register the div and refresh() to fetch ad.
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
slideshow_ad_loaded = true;
adslots[slotName] = googletag.defineSlot(‘/64846486/culture’, [300, 250], slotName)
.addService(googletag.pubads())
.setTargeting(“placement”, “gallery”)
.setTargeting(“slide”, slide)
.setTargeting(“post”, ‘310554’)
.setTargeting(“category”, ‘[“editors-picks”,”environment”,”magazine”,”things-to-do”]’)
.setTargeting(“galleryAdIndex”, ad_index);

googletag.display(slotName);
googletag.sizeMapping().addSize( [0,0], [[300,250]])
googletag.pubads().refresh([adslots[slotName]]);
});
}

gtx_gallery_syncHash = function(path){
pic = “”;
re = /pic/?([0-9]+)/?$/i;

if(!path && window.location.hash && window.location.hash.match(re)) path = window.location.hash;
if(!path && window.location.pathname && window.location.pathname.match(re)) path = window.location.pathname;
if(path){
matchslide = path.match(re);
if(matchslide && matchslide[1]>0){
pic = parseInt(matchslide[1]);
}
if(!isNaN(pic) && pic > 0){
slide=get_slide_by_attachment_id(pic);
if(slide>0){
avoid_next_pageview = true;
flexSlider.flexAnimate(slide – 1, true);
}
}
}else{
gtx_track_slide( )
}
}

function debounce(func, wait, immediate) {
var timeout;
return function() {
var context = this, args = arguments;
var later = function() {
timeout = null;
if (!immediate) func.apply(context, args);
};
var callNow = immediate && !timeout;
clearTimeout(timeout);
timeout = setTimeout(later, wait);
if (callNow) func.apply(context, args);
};
};

// delay the url state replacement to avoid overload
// RAYOS-271
var efficientlyReplaceState = debounce(function(title, path){
window.history.replaceState({}, title, path);
}, 1250)

function changeURL(pic){
basepath = window.location.pathname.replace(//pic/?([0-9]+)/?$/i,”/”);
if(isNaN(pic)) return;

path = basepath + “pic/”+pic+”/”;

title = “Pic “+pic;
if (typeof(window.history.replaceState) == “function”) {
efficientlyReplaceState(title, path)
} else {
window.location.hash = path;
}
}

function get_slide_by_attachment_id(id){
var slide=$slider.find(“.slides li[data-attachment_id=”+id+”]”).attr(“data-i”);
return parseInt(slide, 10);
}

function gtx_track_slide( slide_obj ){
if(slide_obj){
var slide = slide_obj.animatingTo;
}else{
var slide = 0;
}
$active_slide=$all_slides.eq(slide) ;

if(!avoid_next_pageview){
try{
var loc = location.pathname + “#slide” + (parseInt(slide) + 1);

if (rayos_gtm_gallery_pageviews) {
// Add gallery navigation info to dataLayer
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
window.dataLayer.push({
‘event’: ‘rayos_virtual_pageview’,
‘location’ : loc
});
}

// Legacy support for GA tracking
ga(“send”, “pageview”, loc);
if (ga.getByName(“gtxcelTracker”)) {
ga(“gtxcelTracker.send”, “pageview”, loc);
}
}catch(err){

}
}
avoid_next_pageview = false;
}

//Add a callback on ad render
googletag.cmd.push(function() {
googletag.pubads().addEventListener(‘slotRenderEnded’, function(event) {
var slotName=event.slot.getSlotElementId();
if(typeof adslots[slotName] !==”undefined” && !event.isEmpty){
$slider.clearQueue();
$slider.removeClass(“gtx-gallery-loading”);
}
});
});

jQuery(“#gtx-gallery-slider-310554”).flexslider({
animation: “slide”,
pauseOnHover: true,
prevText: “”,
nextText: “”,
slideshow: false,
controlNav: false,
init: gtx_gallery_slide_init,
start: gtx_gallery_slide_start,
before: gtx_gallery_slide_before,
after: gtx_gallery_slide_after
});

if(mobile_mode){
$slider.find(“.flex-direction-nav”).hide();
}

});

The litter accumulates from trash left on the shoreline, refuse that blows in from cars, bins and local roadways, and garbage that travels to the ocean by way of rivers. Waves then break down the plastics into smaller pieces of micro- and nanoplastics.

“Plastic pollution is incredibly dangerous to aquatic species,” she says. Fish and other animals ingest the microplastics and can become entangled in ribbons, nets and fishing lines. Other items that entangle wildlife include six-pack ring holders, hair ties, fishing line, netting or pieces of netting, fishing lures, hooks and plastic bags.

Sea birds are especially vulnerable because they use those bits of fishing line, rope, string and other materials to build their nests. Balloons, in particular, are deadly to seabirds, which often mistake them for jellyfish or other prey.

“Plastics are now in every ecosystem, almost every seabird, and almost every human body,” Mateleska says, with the long-term health impacts unknown.

They also take an extremely long time to break down, which is harmful to the state’s delicate coastal ecosystem.

“[Plastic] material that is in the environment may present itself on a shoreline very far away many years or decades later,” says Dave McLaughlin, sustainability coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

___________________________

What You Can Do

Beach walkers can help by picking up garbage wherever they go to enjoy the outdoors. But you don’t have to go to the beach to help. Better management of beach trash starts at home, Mataleska says.

“Refuse single-use plastics and look for sustainable alternatives, pick up trash wherever and whenever you see it, and support legislation that stops plastic at the source,” she advises.

Volunteer for coastal cleanups, use reusable materials, carry in and carry out your trash, recycle, and don’t litter. And consider joining a nonprofit group such as those sponsored by Coastodians (coastodians.org) or Save the Bay (savebay.org) that organize beach cleanups. When it comes to beach trash, even small groups can make a big difference.