Voyage of the Hobbit

MICROPLASTIC ABUNDANCE IN THE SURFACE WATERS ALONG THE

INSIDE PASSAGE OF WASHINGTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALASKA

During our trip to Alaska, we will be devoting a considerable effort to sampling microplastics in the marine environment.  This project is an outgrowth of the reawakening of my desire to get back into environmental research as a result of my studies at Friday Harbor Laboratories and subsequent classes at the University of Washington.

Many people helped me put this project together either by providing direct support or through discussion of issues and potential problems.  I would like to give particular thanks to:

Dr. Joel Baker, Port of Tacoma Chair in Environmental Science, University of Washington, Tacoma Center for Urban Waters
Dr. Giora Proskurowski, Project Scientist, Department of Oceanography, University of Washington, Seattle
Julie Masura, Faculty/Research Scientist, Environmental Sciences, University of Washington, Tacoma Center for Urban Waters
Dr. Alan Trimble, Project Scientist, Department of Biology, University of Washington

The following discussion is extracted from permit applications made to the National Park Service, The British Columbia Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as to the States of Alaska and Washington. 

I. ABSTRACT

Plastic pollution is becoming a major environmental problem known to kill wildlife and is endangering species such as the albatross that unwittingly provide plastic as food for their young. While plastic large enough to be easily visible has been regarded as a problem for many years, the importance of small particles of plastic is just beginning to be appreciated. In this study microplastics, i.e. plastic <5mm in diameter, will be quantitatively sampled approximately every 25 nautical miles along the Inside Passage from Everett, WA through British Columbia to Skagway, AK. A higher concentration of samples will be collected in Glacier Bay National Park because of its importance to marine life including whales. Samples will be taken with a surface skimming neuston net having a mesh size of approximately 330 microns.

II. OVERVIEW

Statement of issue
From beaches to oceanic waters, plastic pollution is becoming of increasing concern as it is appearing in the food chain and killing animals such as fish, birds, turtles, and seals. Plastic in the environment ranges in size from only a few hundred microns to many square feet. Plastic at the lower end of this spectrum with diameters < 5 mm has been dubbed “microplastic.” While all plastic is environmentally harmful, the effect of microplastic may be particularly onerous because of the ease with which it may be mistaken as food by organisms at the lower end of the food chain. Given the way they feed, small pieces of plastic, including microplastics, are almost certainly directly consumed by baleen whales as they feed on or near the surface.

While there have been numerous reports documenting plastic concentration in the open ocean, few studies have been conducted in near shore waters. No significant studies are known to have been conducted along the Inside Passage of Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. No estimates of microplastic density have been identified for areas which are important feeding grounds for whales. The proposed project will sample microplastics with a surface skimming neuston net approximately every 25 miles from Everett, WA to Skagway, Alaska. Because it is an environmentally sensitive area, special attention will be given to characterizing the concentration of microplastics in Glacier Bay National Park (GBNP). This study will provide baseline data and help identify where to focus future research efforts.

Literature summary
There are numerous articles in the literature documenting the presence of microplastics in marine waters (e.g. Ryan et al. 2009, Arthur et al. 2009, Morét-Ferguson et al. 2010). Most studies have been in the open ocean. In their review of more than 20 years of data from the western North Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, Law et al. (2010) reported that Plastic marine pollution is a major environmental concern, yet a quantitative description of the scope of this problem in the open ocean is lacking. The University of Washington (2010) states that there has been no systematic survey of microplastic levels in likely ‘hot spots’ near sources or accumulation zones.

Figure 1: Plastic pellets called "nurdles" or "mermaid tears"

washed up on a beach. (NOAA Marine Debris Program)

In addition, there are many studies which have documented consumption of microplastics by marine organisms, particularly birds, but also invertebrates, fish, and seals through consumption of fish with plastic in their system. (e.g. Browne et al. 2008, Eriksson & Burton 2003,Gregory 1977, 1978, 1991; Laist 1997; Mato et al. 2001; Oehlmann et al. 2009; Shomura & Yoshida 1985, Teuten et al. 2009 and many more).

The Algalita Marine Research Foundation reported that 35% of plankton feeding fish collected during their 2008 study in the north Pacific had ingested plastic (Algalita 2009). The majority of the plastic was in the size range of 1 – 2.2 mm. No reports documenting consumption of plastics by whales have been identified. Nevertheless, it is almost certain that toothed whales, indirectly consume plastic by eating fish that have previously ingested it. Baleen whales, on the other hand, almost certainly ingest plastic directly as they feed; particularly when they feed in surface waters such as in Glacier Bay National Park. Baleen whales are also likely to ingest plastic indirectly as they feed on plankton eating fish such as herring.

Calls for management of microplastic inputs to the oceans cannot be addressed without basic knowledge of their distribution, how they enter the ocean, and what impacts they may have on organisms.

III. OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESES TO BE TESTED

The objective of this study is to conduct a preliminary assessment of the abundance and size distribution of microplastics in the surface layer of near shore waters of the Inside Passage from Everett, WA to Skagway, AK. Information gained may serve as a basis for more in depth studies in the future. The hypothesis being tested is that significant quantities of plastics, including microplastics, are present in the surface waters of the Inside Passage.

IV. PROCEDURES

Samples will be collected by dragging a surface skimming neuston net known as a manta trawl or, by brand name, a Mazur skimmer. for approximately 1 nautical mile at a speed of approximately 3 kts.

Figure 2: Surface Skimming Manta Trawl/Mazur Skimmer
(Photo: Talon Aviation LLC)

The manta trawl for in this study uses a commercially available 330 micron 1 meter (circumference) conical collection net approximately 2 meters long connected to a 1 liter “Cod End” collection cup. The floats or “wings” maintain the top of the net at the waters surface. The Skimmer frame is constructed of welded aluminum tubing and aluminum sheet. It measures approximately 80 cm by 25 cm by 35 cm when assembled. The two wings (floats), which support the frame, are attached to either side and are filled with closed cell foam for floatation. The total weight of the complete system is under 25 pounds.
Samples from waters in Washington State will or may be collected in fishery areas 6, 7, 8-1, and 8-2.

Samples from waters in British Columbia will or may be collected in the following Fishery Management Areas: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 29-5 (Figure 4).

Samples will or may be collected in protected marine waters in all fishery districts of Southeast Alaska as well as in Glacier Bay National Park.

For most of the trip samples will be collected approximately every 25 nautical miles. Within GBNP samples will be collected in deep water approximately every 10 nautical miles up both main arms of Glacier Bay as well as in Geikie inlet.

Any collected plastic will be removed from the net, air dried, and stored in baked aluminum foil until they can be analyzed in a laboratory. Samples can only be collected when the water is calm as wind generated turbulence will cause surface mixing that results in underestimates of actual plastic concentrations.

Laboratory samples will be analyzed as in the final version of Baker et al., 2010 which will be published imminently. Briefly, samples obtained by the manta trawl will be passed through 5-mm and/or 0.3-mm sieves to isolate solid material of the appropriate size. The sieved material is dried to determine the solids mass in the sample. The solids are subjected to wet peroxide oxidation (WPO) in the presence of an Fe(II) catalyst to digest labile organic matter. The plastic debris remains unaltered. The WPO mixture is subjected to density separation in NaCl(aq) to isolate the plastic debris through flotation. The floating solids are separated from the denser and heavier undigested mineral components using a density separator. The floating plastic debris is collected in the density separator using a custom 0.3-mm filter, air dried and weighed. Plastic material is removed and collected to determine the microplastics concentration.

Schedule
Field work will commence in Puget Sound on or about May 1and will be completed by the end of August 2011. Because wind and weather will affect the day-to-day progress, it is not possible to provide an exact date when field work will be conducted in GBNP or how long it will take. It is anticipated, however, that work in GBNP will be conducted between June 15 and July 15, 2011. Barring sustained windy weather, field work should take 5 days or less.

Laboratory analysis of samples will be performed during the fall of 2011. A draft paper should be submitted for publication approximately January 2012.

V. LITERATURE CITED

• Algalita. 2009. Update on fish ingestion study - Sept. 2009 http://www.algalita.org/research/bispap-ingestion-update-9-09.html

• Arthur C., Baker J., Bamford H. 2009 Proc. Int. Res. Workshop on the Occurrence, Effects and Fate of Microplastic Marine Debris, 9–11 September 2008. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-OR&R30

• Baker, Joel E, Foster Gregory D, and Masura J. 2010. Laboratory methods for the analysis of microplastic in the marine environment (Draft). Center for Urban Waters, University of Washington, Tacoma WA, and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax VA.

• Browne Mark A, Dissanayake Awantha, Galloway Tamara S., Lowe David M. and Thompson Richard C. 2008. Ingested microscopic plastic translocates to the circulatory system of the mussel, Mytilus edulis (L.). Environ. Sci. Technol. 42 (13), pp 5026–5031

• Eriksson C., Burton H. 2003. Origins and biological accumulation of small plastic particles in Fur Seals from Macquarie Island. Ambio 32, 380–385 [PubMed]

• Gregory M. R. 1977. Plastic pellets on New Zealand beaches. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 9, 82–84 (doi:10.1016/0025-326X(77)90193-X)

• Gregory M. R. 1978. Accumulation and distribution of virgin plastic granules on New Zealand beaches. N. Z. J. Mar. Freshwater Res. 12, 399–414.

• Laist D. W. 1997. Impacts of marine debris: entanglement of marine life in marine debris including a comprehensive list of species with entanglement and ingestion records. In Marine debris, sources, impacts, and solutions (eds Coe J. M., Rogers D. B., editors. ), pp. 99–139 New York, NY: Springer-Verlag.

• Law Kara L., Morét-Ferguson S., Maximenko Nikolai A., Proskurowski Giora, Peacock Emily E., Hafner Jan, and Reddy Christopher M. 2010. Plastic accumulation in the north atlantic subtropical gyre. Science, 329(5996) pp. 1185-1188.

• Mato Y., Isobe T., Takada H., Kahnehiro H., Ohtake C., Kaminuma O. 2001. Plastic resin pellets as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Environ. Sci. Technol. 35, 318–324 (doi:10.1021/es0010498) [PubMed]

• Morét-Ferguson S., Law Kara L., Proskurowski Giora, Murphy Ellen k., Peacock Emily E., H. and Reddy Christopher M. 2010. The size, mass, and composition of plastic debris in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 60(10) pp. 1873-1878.

• Oehlmann J., et al. 2009. A critical analysis of the biological impacts of plasticizers on wildlife. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 2047–2062 (doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0242) [PMC free article] [PubMed]

• Ryan P. G., Moore C. J., van Franeker J. A., Moloney C. L. 2009. Monitoring the abundance of plastic debris in the marine environment. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 1999–2012 (doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0207) [PMC free article] [PubMed]

• Shomura R. S., Yoshida H. O. (eds) 1985. Proc. of the Workshop on the Fate and Impact of Marine Debris, 26–29 November 1984, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA. Tech. Memo; NMFS, NOAA-TM-NMFS-SWFC-54.

• Teuten E. L., et al. 2009. Transport and release of chemicals from plastics to the environment and to wildlife. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 2027–2045 (doi:10.1098/rstb.2008.0284) [PMC free article] [PubMed]

• Thompson R. C., Olsen Y., Mitchell R. P., Davis A., Rowland S. J., John A. W. G., McGonigle D., Russell A. E. 2004. Lost at sea: where is all the plastic? Science 304, 838 (doi:10.1126/science.1094559) [PubMed]

• University of Washington. 2010. Sources and distribution of marine microplastics. Center for Urban Waters web site. http://www.tacoma.washington.edu/urbanwaters/research/microplastics.cfm