Marine Microplastic Pollution: Home

Microplastics are any plastic particle < 5 mm in length. Either manufactured directly or the product of the chemical breakdown of larger plastic products, they have become ubiquitous in marine and terrestrial environments and are a growing concern for both scientists and citizens globally. 

Tiny Thing, BIG Problem

Marine microplastics pose a wide range of threats to the marine ecosystems they contaminate. Microplastics are often ingested by marine organisms at the base of the marine food web, including plankton and fish larvae, as they are similar in size to the microscopic organisms they regularly consume. Artificial satiation due to microplastic ingestion causes these organisms to eat less of their natural food source, resulting in energy deprivation, decreased growth and reproduction rates, or death. Filter-feeding organisms often eaten by humans, including oysters and scallops, ingest microplastic particles as they filter seawater - posing a direct human health threat as well. Numerous other marine species, including crabs, mussels, fish, sea reptiles, sea birds, sharks, and whales ingest microplastics through a variety of mechanisms as well. Once ingested, microplastics can wreak havoc on a molecular level by introducing pathogenic bacteria, toxic chemicals, and heavy metals to the organism. 

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