Funded by: Rhode Island Sea Grant
Rhode Island Shoreline. Photo credit: Beau Jones.
Across the globe, scientists are trying to characterize microplastics and the potential impacts it may have on both ecosystem and human health. Given the prevalence of microplastics, specifically microplastic fibers, in the marine environment, it is critical to understand the potential health risks they pose to oysters and the coastal communities, sustainable fisheries, and aquaculture they support within Rhode Island. What is the impact on environmental, human, and economic health relative to this one species? This Sea Grant funded project will assess the level of environmental contamination by advancing the understanding of the impact of microplastics, pollution, disease and ocean warming in Narragansett Bay, and develop an understanding of how this is affecting shellfisheries.