Why microplastic debris
may be the next big threat to our seas
California State University (CSU) Chancellor's Office
Plastic, metal, rubber and paper are some of the materials that
pollute the world's oceans, often in the form of soda cans, cigarette butts,
plastic bags and bottles, and fishing gear.
Environmental and marine science specialists call it
"marine debris," which, simply put, means anything in the ocean that
wasn't put there by nature.
Recently, though, a new type of trash -- microplastics -- has
become a focus for marine researchers, and they fear the impact of this type of
debris may be especially dire.
Microplastics are particularly problematic for the planet's seas
since they're a lot harder to see with the naked eye.
Measuring less than five
millimeters and often requiring magnifying technology to view, these are
particles of broken-down plastic fibers that end up in the ocean. Marine life
can easily ingest the particles or mistake them for food.
Sean Anderson, Ph.D., an associate professor of environmental science and resource management at California State University, Channel Islands, leads research on the effects of marine debris on California's ocean fauna and flora.
"Marine debris is everywhere; it's on the surface of the
ocean, it's on our beaches, and its presence is increasing," he explains.
"We're seeing more [marine debris] in our oceans now than in the
past."
"The thing that is most disturbing to me is the not the
'macrodebris' that we can easily see with our eyes; it's the ubiquity of
microplastics that has completely blown me away," adds Dr. Anderson.
According to Anderson, microplastics have been found on every
beach in the state that has been tested so far. "This stuff is a sign of
the weight of our footprint on our planet," he says.
The Impact of Microplastics
If marine organisms consume microplastics, the results could be harmful
to the ocean's ecology, as well as deadly for the organisms, depending on how
much is consumed.
"Microfibers and microplastics can displace critters'
natural food and natural behavior," notes Anderson. "The critter may
need to work more and use more energy; it may block their intestinal
tracts," too.
Krista Kamer, Ph.D., director of the CSU Council on Ocean
Affairs, Science & Technology (COAST), the umbrella organization for
marine, coastal and coastal watershed-related research at the California State
University, agrees that microplastics are a serious and growing concern.
"Trash in the ocean, including significant amounts of
microplastics, is a pervasive and significant problem in the waters off California
as well as around the world," says Dr. Kamer.
"Microplastics are particularly concerning because of their
ubiquitous distribution and disastrous impacts on marine life."
Plastics have a physical and chemical impact in the marine
environment, she continues. "Researchers have found birds whose stomachs
are full of plastic, yet they are starving to death because they are literally
full and can't ingest anything nutritious."
And the same chemicals in plastics that can leach out and harm
people can also affect marine life. These chemicals can then "act like a
sponge, soaking up additional pollutants from the surrounding waters, only to
leach them back out again, oftentimes into animals that have ingested the
plastics," explains Kamer.
"This leads to accumulation of toxic chemicals in marine
life, even in situations where the animals are far from humans."
Anderson and his team of undergraduate students recently
conducted a study in which they observed the digestive systems of multiple crab
species along California's coast, the majority of which were found to have
ingested microplastic fragments.
One organism studied by the group had nearly 100 fragments of
microplastic, though these crabs are tiny -- about the size of a thumbnail.
They recently took their research a step further to study the
impact microplastics have on marine life and possibly on humans by examining
coastal areas throughout the state.
Still, both researchers stress that extensive studies are needed
to better understand the reach and impact of microplastics.
"COAST has supported a number of projects investigating the
abundance of microplastics in California coastal habitats, how they behave in
marine systems, and what happens when marine animals ingest them," Kamer
says of her organization's ongoing efforts.
"The results of this research will help California continue
to lead the way in protecting our valuable marine and coastal resources."