Learn the Latest – Plastics: Land to Sea

URI hosting “Empowering Plastics Solutions” seminar series on plastic pollution September 25, 2023 - Plastics: Land to Sea initiative organizing discussions to spur local collaborations, further research URI researchers are discovering the impacts of plastic pollution throughout its most important body of water, Narragansett Bay. KINGSTON, R.I.—September 25, 2023 - Plastics, ranging from tiny, decades-old molecules to large piles of waste, have infiltrated every aspect of human and environmental systems worldwide. Despite current scientific understanding, several challenges remain for researchers and policymakers alike to… Read more
Watch! Rebecca Altman launches URI Plastics Seminar Series: “Empowering Plastic Solutions” September 22, 2023 - Nineteenth-century industrial plastics, though derived from natural sources like cellulose or latex, foreshadowed contemporary concerns, posing significant implications for human health, human rights, and the environment. Join writer and sociologist Dr. Rebecca Altman for this important discussion. Read more
Watch! Circular bioeconomy, Advanced Recycling & Composting: “Empowering Plastics Solutions” talk with Novamont September 21, 2023 - As one of the world’s leading companies in the bioplastics sector, Novamont provides information on different types of bioplastics, how they are manufactured and which applications they are currently being used. The team will share end of life solutions for some of these materials such as industrial composting and their role in helping to divert municipal food waste from landfill to composting and how this can help alleviate global warming… Read more
URI initiative will invest $200K to support translational research on microplastic pollution September 19, 2023 - The University of Rhode Island’s Plastics: Land to Sea initiative announced today over $200,000 in funding to six faculty research projects that will help to address the challenges posed by plastic pollution globally. Read more
Working Group Updates – 2023 Global Plastics Forum September 12, 2023 - University of Rhode Island's Seray Ergene (right) listens during a working group session at the 2023 Global Plastics Forum. Photo by Shaun Kirby At the 2023 Global Plastics Forum, organized by the University of Rhode Island's Plastics: Land to Sea initiative on May 15-16, 2023, local, national and global stakeholders gathered into working groups focused around three key topics--Sustainable textiles, developing international research networks, and centering equity and justice in… Read more
Microplastics infiltrate all systems of body, cause behavioral changes August 24, 2023 - Neuroscience, Pharmacy Professor Jaime Ross’ study finds ‘widespread’ infiltration, potential for serious health consequences, including Alzheimer’s KINGSTON, R.I. — Aug. 30, 2023 — Plastics—in particular, microplastics—are among the most pervasive pollutants on the planet, finding their way into the air, water systems and food chains around the world. While the prevalence of microplastics in the environment is well known—as are their negative impacts on marine organisms—few studies have examined the potential… Read more
New URI study finds extensive microplastics in Narragansett Bay August 24, 2023 - First study of its kind shows prevalence of microplastics in the Bay; URI researchers also show their harmful effects KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 30, 2023 – Two University of Rhode Island researchers estimate that the top 5 centimeters (2 inches) of the floor of Narragansett Bay now contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics, and that buildup has occurred in just the last 10 to 20 years. This news is… Read more
Fantastic Bioplastic April 4, 2023 - A collaboration between research and industry receives Phase 2 funding from the National Science Foundation to develop biodegradable oceangoing bioplastics. Read more
2023 URI Global Plastics Forum March 23, 2023 - The 2023 University of Rhode Island Global Plastics Forum is an opportunity to coordinate knowledge and networks of expertise and resources in an effort to build capacity in addressing the growing global plastic pollution problem. Read more
Frequently Asked Questions for URI Plastics Seed Program March 7, 2023 - Below are answers from URI's Division of Research and Economic Development on submitting proposals for our 2023 URI Plastics Seed Program. Read more
Accepting applications for URI Plastics Seed Program, due April 14 February 17, 2023 - URI Plastics is accepting applications for the 2023-2024 Plastics Seed Grants Program via the Division of Research & Economic Development. URI Plastics supports initiatives that apply research and creative activities to solving or better understanding plastic pollution problems and issues at local, state and regional levels. Read more
URI Faculty Discuss Impacts of Textile-Related Microplastics February 8, 2022 - URI College of Business faculty discussed microplastics in the textile industry for URI Alumni’s Faculty Office Hours event. The panel, which consisted of Dr. Izabela Luiza Ciesielska-Wrobel and Dr. Seray Ergene, and moderator, Dr. Karl Aspelund analyzed the impacts of microplastics on the environment and implications for policymakers, industry leaders, and consumers... Read more
URI Engineering Core Facility Offers Training Seminars February 3, 2022 - Dr. Irene Andreu loading a sample in the transmission electron microscope. The Rhode Island Consortium for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (RIN2), the Surface Analysis Laboratory and the COE Analytical Core Facility invite you and your colleagues to a free seminar series describing theory and applications of the newest techniques available to you in the URI College of Engineering. Experts will answer your questions and introduce new and experienced scientists to instrumentation… Read more
Greener Tools for a Bluer Ocean December 21, 2021 - Melissa Omand, Associate Professor of Oceanography in the Graduate School of Oceanography, holding a minion float developed in her lab to capture particle sized data from the ocean twilight zone. Networked, often expendable, devices have revolutionized how we access ocean data for applications across research and marine sectors. These instruments are often made of non-degradable plastic components, and at the end of life, they become marine debris. An interdisciplinary team of microbiologists,… Read more
Dr. Coleen Suckling leads studies of sea urchin as sustainable hatchery December 20, 2021 - Farming local urchins, a species not previously considered a viable seafood option, would reduce the pressure on overharvested seafood species, such as tuna and cod, and help to restore the ocean's vibrant ecosystem. Read more
URI’s All Hands on Deck Approach to the Ocean Plastics Puzzle October 15, 2021 - No one organization can tackle the massively complex problem of plastics pollution. The University of Rhode Island (URI) is launching the Plastics: Land to Sea COLAB in an effort to align research, resources, and talent across the entire University to contribute to global collaborative efforts aimed at protecting a sustainable environment and improving the quality of life for countless communities across the globe. Read more
Honey Bee’s Plastic Trail October 11, 2021 - URI research team is partnering with honey bee populations to track microplastics' terrestrial distribution. Honeybees forage from 2-5 miles from their hives, sampling an area of 12-75 square miles. The collection of a single beehive coupled to an existing worldwide network of managed colonies is a ready-made tool for tracking microplastic emissions. Read more
Taking on Plastics in a Pandemic World September 15, 2021 - While plastics are everywhere, and the pandemic has only added to the problem, researchers believe that science in its many forms holds the key to critical solutions. Read more
The World is Their Oyster, Thanks to Fulbrights April 29, 2021 - URI Assistant Professor Elizabeth Mendenhall prepares for Iceland, while her graduate student, Eliva Baron Lopez, plans for South Korea – read how the pair secured prestigious Fulbright funds to support their varied marine research goals. Read more
Real Science, Real Experience for Coastal Fellows August 25, 2020 - It’s the immersion in the field, like the shores of Narragansett Bay, that makes the URI Coastal Fellows program, an effort supported by Rhode Island Sea Grant, so valuable to young scientists. Read more
Ice Tells the Plastics Story Too August 14, 2019 - A research team, led by the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, recently returning from a groundbreaking, 18-day expedition aboard the Swedish Icebreaker Oden has made a discovery related to plastics in the Arctic Ocean. Read here to find out why a climate change expedition is also providing useful data to plastics pollution research. Read more