Hurricane Erin continues to churn in the Atlantic waters hundreds of miles off the U.S., prompting officials to close beaches along the East Coast from the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast.

The forecast does not call for Hurricane Erin to get too close to Massachusetts, but the storm is causing some beaches to close for swimming as it could create big waves and dangerous rip currents on the coast. Gov. Maura Healey asked residents on the coast to "stay safe and alert" as Erin passes by.

"The pervasive nature of microplastic pollution presents a complex legal challenge. While international treaties address marine plastic debris, the enforcement and regulation of microplastics specifically are still developing," Arroyo Vargas observed.

Hurricane Erin has battered North Carolina’s Outer Banks with strong winds and waves that flooded part of the main highway and surged under beachfront homes