Research - Biological Impact Study of Pollutants Attached to Plastic (BISPAP)

The research being conducted in this arena will investigate the relationship between plastic ingestion and the accumulation of harmful compounds in animal tissue. Algalita researchers are interested in how these compounds, such as POPs (persistent organic pollutants), are affecting the basic biology of the marine life in areas such as general fitness, buoyancy, and reproduction. Eventually our research will investigate the bioaccumulation of these toxins and the implications this has for the entire food chain.

Microplastic Ingestion:
This feeding project is being conducted at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium and will allow Algalita researchers to observe the extent and mechanism by which juvenile grunion spawn and moon jellies ingest microplastics. Virgin plastic (plastic that has never been used) will be introduced into holding tanks and the feeding behaviors of the two types of species will be observed.

Midway Albatross Bolus Study:
Samples were analyzed from Albatross boluses collected from Midway Atoll in the North West Hawaiian Islands at the AMRF Laboratory located at the S.E.A Lab in Redondo Beach. This study focused on quantifying the amount of plastic ingested by these large seabirds as well as identifying the portion of birds with plastic in their gut. The samples are awaiting the final stages of the analysis process.

Albatross Liver Contamination:
Algalita is collaborating with California State University, Long Beach’s Institute for Integrated Research in Materials, Environments & Society (IIRMES) to determine the scope of contaminants in the liver of albatross. Necropsies will be performed on a total of 32 albatross, which have been collected through the NOAA Observer Program.

Plastic in mesopelagic fish species:
In addition to water samples, different species of mesoplagic fish were collected during Algalita’s last trip out to the North Pacific Gyre (the most abundant species collected were the Myctophum aurolanternatum). The stomach contents of these fish are being analyzed for the presence of plastic at the SCCWRP lab. Plastic has already been identified in a significant portion of the fish.

The plastics extracted from the fish will then be used to extrapolate a food vs. plastic ratio within the gut of the fish. These plastics will also shed light on any size, color, and type preference the fish may exhibit toward the plastics.

The final step of this project will be to analyze the tissue and plastics extracted from the gut of several of these fish for the presence of POPs. Further analysis will be performed when the mesopelagic data sets are incorporated into AMRF’s ongoing database.

Posted: 6/19/08