Hey everyone,

Sep 28, 2020

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Hey everyone,
Update on the sampling trip this past weekend- Things went well, and we were able to collect samples for histopathology, plastic additive analysis, and plastic quantification in the GI tracts of several fish! We will be processing these sample for further analysis this week and will be going for more samples over the next couple weeks! 
 
Knobbed Porgy necropsy- here you can see the operculum (gill cover) cut back, the gills removed for analysis, a muscle flap pulled back to show the abdominal contents. Here the GI tract can be seen full- of shrimp and crab parts we're certain, of plastics we will see!
 
Here are a variety of samples for histopathology from the fish above- gills, liver, spleen, GI tract, fins, kidney, skin, muscle, scales, and heart. 

Scott, Annie, and 1 other like this.

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About This Project

Health impacts of plastic on inshore fish in the Florida Keys

Florida Atlantic University

Tiny pieces of plastic (microplastics), have been found at the highest camp on Mt. Everest (26,000 ft up) and the bottom of the Mariana Trench (36,000 ft down) [1-2]. Because microplastics are everywhere, it is important to start understanding the health impacts of this environmental contaminant. We will investigate sources of microplastics, the health impacts on inshore fish, and the biomagnification potential of plastic additives up the food chain in patch reef ecosystems in the Florida Keys.