About the Cover

Next article FreeAbout the CoverPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreThe cover depicts plastic detritus washed up on the sand, an illustration of the devastating effect that plastic pollution is having on the natural environment. This issue hosts the first two articles of a series on marine microplastic pollutants. In their Introduction (p. 41), the editors of the series, Nicole R. Posth and Anders L. Garm, describe the urgent need for scientific research to assess the extent and severity of plastic pollutants, with a goal toward remediation.A major challenge in the field has been how to best recover the microplastic debris in structurally complex samples. This problem is addressed by M. E. Miller, C. A. Motti, P. Menendez, and F. J. Kroon (pp. 52–66), who test a range of different separation methods. In their article, T. J. Andersen, S. Rominikan, I. S. Olsen, K. H. Skinnebach, and M. Fruergaard (pp. 42–51) share their findings on the transport and continuous settling behavior of small PVC microplastics (63–125 μm) with other suspended particles, with implications for microplastic loading for benthic life in estuarine and marine settings.Credits: Image from maldeseine, CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) via Wikimedia Commons. Cover design, Matt Lang, University of Chicago Next article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Biological Bulletin Volume 240, Number 1February 2021 Published in association with the Marine Biological Laboratory Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/714372 © 2021 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.