Protecting the Texas Coast from Plastic Pollution

Learn about nurdles, tiny plastic pellets that frequently turn up along the Texas coast and endanger wildlife, from whales to sea turtles. Nurdles can crowd an animal’s digestive system, making it hard to eat enough food and may also potentially release toxins. Jace Tunnell, Director of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR), will also share how you can help by doing a nurdle survey and reporting your findings. Surprisingly, you can even find nurdles in creeks, rivers and lakes hours away from the coast. Tunnell will also introduce you to the Mission Aransas NERR, one of 29 reserves around the country focused on research and education in natural ecosystems. The reserve helps protect 186,000 acres of wetlands along the Texas Gulf Coast.