Current Search: UWF Theses (x) » Plastic marine debris (x)
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Title
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Investigating the epigenetic effects of microplastic exposure in Bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) using methylation sensitive-AFLPs.
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Author
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Wilkinson, Sheridan Mae
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Abstract/Description
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Marine debris is an increasing threat to the world's oceans and the abundant organisms that inhabit them. Microplastics are remnants of macroplastics that have broken down to fragments smaller than 5mm through wave action and other natural processes or were originally manufactured to have micron-sized dimensions. These fragments are then consumed by microscopic marine organisms, like zooplankton, and are bioaccumulated up the trophic levels. Accumulation of plastics in the gut of organisms...
Show moreMarine debris is an increasing threat to the world's oceans and the abundant organisms that inhabit them. Microplastics are remnants of macroplastics that have broken down to fragments smaller than 5mm through wave action and other natural processes or were originally manufactured to have micron-sized dimensions. These fragments are then consumed by microscopic marine organisms, like zooplankton, and are bioaccumulated up the trophic levels. Accumulation of plastics in the gut of organisms can have a variety of repercussions, such as starvation due to blockage in the digestive tract, chemicals used in producing plastics leaching into the cells of organisms, and modifications to the genome. One such modification is methylation which is often associated with a decrease in gene activity. While methylation has been studied in teleost fishes, little work has been done to show how microplastic exposure affects this process in any species. For this study, we investigated the accumulation of methylation due to microplastic exposure within the genome of cultured Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) cells using methylation sensitive-AFLPs. Following MSAFLPs, the methylation state was analyzed through capillary gel analysis and electropherograms and found that differential methylation occurred between several of the control and experimental groups; however, these differences were not proven to be dose- or time-dependent.
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Date Issued
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2020, 2020
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Identifier
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1222212928, WFE0000735
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Format
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Document (PDF)
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Title
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Microplastics in sandy environments in the Florida Keys and the Panhandle of Florida and ingestion by sea cucumbers and sand dollars.
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Author
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Plee, Tara Ashley
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Abstract/Description
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Microplastic pollution is an increasing problem in the marine environment. This study had five research objectives: establish if seagrass habitats are accumulating more microplastics compared to sandy habits in the Florida Keys; determine if there are microplastics present in sea cucumbers in the Florida Keys; determine the number of microplastics in Pensacola Beach sediment; determine the number of microplastics in St. Joseph Bay sediment; determine if there are microplastics present in sand...
Show moreMicroplastic pollution is an increasing problem in the marine environment. This study had five research objectives: establish if seagrass habitats are accumulating more microplastics compared to sandy habits in the Florida Keys; determine if there are microplastics present in sea cucumbers in the Florida Keys; determine the number of microplastics in Pensacola Beach sediment; determine the number of microplastics in St. Joseph Bay sediment; determine if there are microplastics present in sand dollars in the panhandle of Florida; and conduct a laboratory experiment on the sand dollar Mellita tenuis to determine if it is selecting for microplastics. Microplastics were extracted from samples using a saturated CaCl2 solution and visual examination. Both seagrass beds and sandy areas in the Florida Keys contained microplastics. Sediment near Pensacola Beach and in St. Joseph Bay contained microplastics. Sea cucumbers collected in the Florida Keys and sand dollars collected in the panhandle of Florida had microplastics as part of their gut content. In the laboratory, M. tenuis ingested microbeads in slightly lower proportions compared to surrounding sediment. Both sea cucumbers and sand dollars may make useful animals for monitoring sandy environments for microplastics pollution.
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Identifier
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1129598452, WFE0000667
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Format
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Document (PDF)
