For Immediate Release, November 3, 2025
Contacts: Joanie Steinhaus, Ocean Program Director, joanie@seaturtles.org
Ty Gribble, Environment Texas Policy Associate, tgribble@environmenttexas.org
Environmental Advocates and University Students to Host Texas Statewide Nurdle Hunt
A Beach and Creek Cleanup Raising the Alarm of Plastic Pellet Pollution
TEXAS, UNITED STATES — Environment Texas and Turtle Island Restoration Network are teaming up to tackle the plastic crisis in our own backyard during the Texas Statewide Nurdle Hunt. The Galveston cleanup, taking place November 7, is part of a coordinated statewide effort led by Environment Texas, with additional cleanups happening in San Antonio and Dallas.
Tiny plastic pellets called nurdles – each about the size of a lentil – are washing up on Texas beaches in alarming quantities. These pre-production plastics are the raw material used to make everyday items like bags and bottles. But when they spill during manufacturing or transport, they escape into the environment, becoming one of the most widespread sources of microplastic pollution.
Texas is a hotspot for nurdle pollution, home to at least 36 pre-production plastic facilities, nearly half of which (17) are located in Harris County – many clustered around Galveston Bay and its watershed.
Once in the water, nurdles act like tiny sponges, absorbing toxic chemicals such as pesticides and heavy metals. Marine animals often mistake them for food, leading to blocked digestive systems, starvation, and death. These plastics can also leach harmful substances into the water, threatening fish, sea turtles, and seabirds. Over time, they break down into even smaller microplastics that contaminate seafood and enter the human food chain, posing risks to both wildlife and people.
You can be part of the solution by joining our local Nurdle Patrol and contributing valuable data to this statewide citizen science effort. If you can’t attend the Galveston cleanup, you can still participate by conducting your own Nurdle Patrol on November 7th or 8th anywhere in Texas. To learn how to log your findings and make your patrol count, visit www.nurdlepatrol.org/about Together, we can protect Texas’ coastlines, wildlife and communities from the growing plastic pollution crisis.
Event Details:
- SIGN UP HERE
- Friday, November 7th, from 9:30am to 11:30am
- Murdoch’s at 2215 Sea Wall Blvd, Galveston TX 77550
- Turtle Island Restoration Network, Environment Texas, local Sierra Club Members and more!
For more information on the Turtle Island Restoration Network, visit www.seaturtles.org. For more information on Environment Texas, visit www.environmentamerica.org/texas.
Turtle Island Restoration Network is a global ocean conservation nonprofit with offices in California and Texas, whose mission is to inspire and mobilize people around the world to protect marine biodiversity, the oceans and watersheds that sustain all life on Earth.
Environment Texas advocates ideas and actions to guide our country onto a greener, healthier path. A network of 30 state environmental groups promotes clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate.
