Nurdle Patrol began in 2018 after a plastic pellet spill on the beaches of Corpus Christi, Texas, with just five volunteers. These small plastic pellets, called nurdles, are the raw material used to make most plastic products—and they’re polluting coastlines around the world.

What started as a grassroots effort quickly grew. Today, more than 11,000 volunteers in over 30 countries have submitted 25,000+ surveys, helping map the global spread of this pollution. The data shows nurdles are commonly found near manufacturing sites, spills, and even railroad tracks, impacting wildlife like birds, sea turtles, and fish.

The program, managed by the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, recently received a $750,000 grant from the Matagorda Bay Mitigation Trust to support continued growth over the next three years. Nurdle Patrol now includes a website, app, classroom kits reaching over 138,000 students, a video game, and upcoming tools like AI-powered identification.

Founder Jace Tunnell says the goal is clear: “To bring attention to plastic pellet pollution so future spills lead to real action—cleanup, accountability, and solutions.”

About the author: Brooke Bolinger is an undergraduate intern at the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, studying Marine Science at the University of Texas at Austin