About This Project

There is increasing evidence that microscopic plastics persist in the environment, accumulate hazardous chemicals, and adversely affect marine organisms that ingest them. This project will examine microscopic plastic transportation, fate and dynamics in Winyah Bay, South Carolina to provide valuable information to protected areas on potential ecosystem damage.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Microplastics are plastic fragments that are less than or equal to 5mm in size and are created from the physical degradation of macroplastic debris (i.e., plastic bottles, fishing line, plastic bags, etc.) or through manufacture for personal care, cosmetics, and air blast cleaning products. There is increasing evidence that microplastics adversely affect marine organisms, including seabirds, blue mussels, fish and crustaceans. Ingestion of microplastics and the chemicals they carry may lead to endocrine disruption which may affect mobility, reproduction, development, and carcinogenesis. The goal of this project is to shed light on the fate, transport, and dynamics of continental microplastic inputs into marine environments as this knowledge is currently very limited.

What is the significance of this project?

Microplastics have been recorded in many different types of ecosystems worldwide, including even remote and protected aquatic environments. Winyah Bay and the rivers that empty into it are relatively protected and provide unique coastal habitats for wildlife. However, this area is still prone to microplastic invasion. 47,060 square kilometers of partially populated land drains into it, boating traffic uses the major Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway as a connector through the bay, and it is frequented by many fishermen and tourists.

What are the goals of the project?

The outcome of this project will include microplastic data (i.e., abundance, plastic type, color, and size) in Winyah Bay, SC, a validated hydrodynamic model that can simulate the fate and transport of microplastics, and a statistical risk assessment tool for microplastics in the Winyah Bay area. This will provide valuable information to protected areas on potential damage to marine organisms and ecosystems, and also possible sources as to where these plastics originate. The project will begin July 2016 with a preliminary study and end summer of 2017. We will share updates on our findings and videos of our computer model's prediction on plastic transportation.