The Russian shadow fleet is a ticking environmental time bomb. The question isn't if there will be a catastrophic spill, it's when. Older tankers can suffer from metal fatigue, corroded hulls, and overall structural deterioration, significantly increasing the risk of structural failures at sea.
Within a few minutes of moving down the estuary from Jack London Square, it started looking like something out of Pirates of the Caribbean. Boats, big and small, sank or half-sunk along the length of the estuary. Spicer pointed out a large sailboat listing on its side, which neighbors say has been disabled for months. "It was actually anchored in the center of the channel for quite some time. A lot of our community members reported it," she said.
"So as a scientific community, we know that microplastics are everywhere, but we don't exactly know how they get everywhere or where they come from. And if we're going to do anything to mitigate this problem, that's a really important question that we need answered," says Savoca, who is based at Stanford's Hospkins Marine Station on Monterey Bay.