Microplastics in Fiddler Crabs
Presentation Type
Event
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Eric Rosch
Major
Marine Science
Minor
Environmental Science
Presentation Abstract
Microplastics, as defined by NOAA, are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. Plastic waste that has been thrown out by humans into the environment breaks down into microscopic pieces, causing harm to organisms that live there. The purpose of this study was to see if there were microplastics passing through fiddler crabs (genus Uca), collected from Waties Island, SC. Fecal samples from the crabs were teased apart and examined under a microscope to quantify number and types of microplastics present. Microplastics were found in almost every sample taken, indicating that microplastics are present in even in this relatively pristine environment. The effects of the intake of microplastics on fiddler crab survival and reproductive fitness will have profound impacts on other organisms through predation and other processes.
Course
MSCI 499H/ MSCI 399
Location
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Start Date
16-4-2019 12:30 PM
End Date
16-4-2019 2:30 PM
Disciplines
Oceanography
Recommended Citation
Forbes, Gabrielle; Gleich, Callista; and Brotemarkle, Kayla, "Microplastics in Fiddler Crabs" (2019). Undergraduate Research Competition. 18.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2019/poster/18
Microplastics in Fiddler Crabs
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Microplastics, as defined by NOAA, are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. Plastic waste that has been thrown out by humans into the environment breaks down into microscopic pieces, causing harm to organisms that live there. The purpose of this study was to see if there were microplastics passing through fiddler crabs (genus Uca), collected from Waties Island, SC. Fecal samples from the crabs were teased apart and examined under a microscope to quantify number and types of microplastics present. Microplastics were found in almost every sample taken, indicating that microplastics are present in even in this relatively pristine environment. The effects of the intake of microplastics on fiddler crab survival and reproductive fitness will have profound impacts on other organisms through predation and other processes.