Clean Ocean Action’s Microplastic Research Project
Clean Ocean Action is hard at work investigating
microplastics in beach sand and coastal waters! In the summer of 2014,
Cassandra Ornell, Staff Scientist, and Catie Tobin, Marine Science Education
Coordinator, teamed up with scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) along with students from the Marine Academy of Science
and Technology (MAST).
Over the past few months, the team has been hard at work testing
various methods that would provide the best data. After time spent with the
different systems in the lab, the project has finally moved into the
identification stage in which the team is viewing their samples under the
microscope. As of last week, the first microbead was seen, confirming the
hypothesis that microplastics are present in the New Jersey coastal area.
In the months ahead, the team will continue the
identification phase with the hopes of releasing the data in tandem with the
year of celebration for the 30th Beach Sweep Anniversary. Stay tuned for updates!
Read more about the study here.
Read more about the study here.
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