Plastic pollution in marine food webs: pathways, trends, and risk assessments - Livestream

As plastic production increases, understanding how plastic debris enters and flows through marine food webs is becoming more crucial than ever before. Data from abiotic (water, sediment) and biotic (seabirds, fish) reservoirs have confirmed exponential growth of meso- and microplastics and fibers in marine systems over the past half century. This presentation will focus on what is known about how marine consumers ingest plastic, how plastic moves through the marine food web, and what strategies and techniques are emerging to evaluate the risks of ingested plastic debris. Monterey Bay has proven an ideal location to investigate these issues and serves as a natural comparison to the well-studied and more heavily impacted San Francisco Bay and its adjacent marine sanctuaries. Taken together, our work can help scientists and managers understand and mitigate this emerging pollutant in California’s waters and beyond.

Speaker: Matthew Savoca, Hopkins Marine Station

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