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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)