The University of Texas Marine Science Institute traced tiny plastic pellets (nurdles) from Texas toward the Yucatán Peninsula by analyzing over 700 samples and using particle-tracking models. Color and surface weathering showed pellets can travel several hundred miles over months, and many recovered in the western Gulf likely started in Texas. The study demonstrates how source-tracking can guide targeted policy, more effective cleanups and seasonal modeling to reduce ocean plastic pollution.
Study Traces 'Mermaid Tears' from Texas to Mexico, Pinpointing a Major Source of Ocean Plastic
The University of Texas Marine Science Institute traced tiny plastic pellets (nurdles) from Texas toward the Yucatán Peninsula by analyzing over 700 samples and using particle-tracking models. Color and surface weathering showed pellets can travel several hundred miles over months, and many recovered in the western Gulf likely started in Texas. The study demonstrates how source-tracking can guide targeted policy, more effective cleanups and seasonal modeling to reduce ocean plastic pollution.
10:15 PM, 11/14/2025Environment
Scientists trace tiny plastic "mermaid tears" from Texas to the Yucatán
The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute has published a study tracing tiny plastic pellets—commonly called nurdles or "mermaid tears"—along coastlines from Texas toward the Yucatán Peninsula. The research, led by graduate student Jordan Cisco, analyzed more than 700 collected samples and used particle-tracking models to follow the pellets' likely paths.
"Identifying the source is the first step toward solving the problem," said Jordan Cisco, lead author of the study.
Nurdles are the raw plastic pellets used to manufacture many plastic products. Roughly the size of a lentil, they are small, buoyant and difficult to capture once they enter the marine environment. Because they persist and spread, nurdles are a growing concern for ocean health worldwide.
The team combined model simulations that account for ocean currents and buoyant particle movement with physical examinations of pellet color and surface degradation. Weathering patterns—pellets recovered in Texas appeared fresher while those found in Mexico were more degraded—helped the researchers estimate how long individual nurdles had been in the water and confirm a predominantly southward transport. The study found that pellets can travel several hundred miles over the course of several months.
Modeling and sample comparisons indicate that many of the nurdles found in the western Gulf of Mexico most likely originated in Texas before drifting south toward the Yucatán Peninsula.
Why this matters
Nurdles and other plastic fragments can be ingested by marine animals and damage marine vegetation, harming biodiversity and ecosystem function. By identifying likely pollution sources, source-tracking studies like this one provide actionable information for policymakers to design targeted regulations and for organizations to prioritize cleanup efforts.
Researchers are refining models to include different seasonal patterns and storm conditions to better predict release timing and transport routes. Cisco and colleagues note that the same source-tracking approach can be applied globally to pinpoint origins of plastic releases and inform more effective mitigation strategies.
What individuals can do
While policy and industry changes are critical, reducing single-use plastics and improving handling of plastic feedstocks at manufacturing and transport sites are practical steps people and businesses can take to help limit the flow of nurdles into the ocean.
Data snapshot: >700 samples analyzed; particle-tracking models used; travel distances of several hundred miles over months; evidence supports Texas as a source for many nurdles found in the western Gulf.