PROVINCETOWN- Ongoing research by the Center for Coastal Studies is examining a small substance with a large impact on our ecosystems; microplastics.
Microplastics, as the name suggests, are tiny fragments of larger plastic products.
The appearance of microplastics in the waste and stomachs of marine animals including seals, whales, and seabirds has become a great concern for scientists such as Christy Hudak and CCS President and CEO Rich Delaney.
“What’s interesting is we had about 135 birds that we necropsied from Massachusetts Bay, and over 80% had microplastics in them,” Christy said.
Her research involving great shearwater birds isn’t the only lens through which this problem is being examined.
The Center for Coastal Studies has been collecting microplastic samples from Cape Cod Bay for almost 40 years.
They hope to use these samples to create a timeline of the dispersal of microplastics and get a better idea of the impact that they have on the ecosystem.
Maura MacDonald, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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