Microplastics in the Sea: Occurrence and Impacts is a comprehensive reference written by recognized leaders in the field which provides the most up-to-date science on how microplastics impact the environment and marine life. Although the impacts of microplastics in the ocean are vast, this book focuses on methodologies for determination, identification, and reliable experimental protocols. In addition, it describes how microplastics can impact public health as the presence of plastics in the environment affects the food chain and food security. Users will find background material on microplastics in the environment, with coverage of living organisms such as crustaceans, mollusks and marine fish.
Finally, Microplastics in the Sea: Occurrence and Impacts discusses the importance of spectroscopic analysis in determining the presence of, and impact on marine organisms.
- Discusses how debris such as plastic bags, bottles, caps, fishing line, and more can have severe impacts on charismatic fauna, e.g., seabirds and sea turtles
- Presents the latest research on how microplastic materials can affect filter-feeding organisms and subsequent members of the food chain
- Provides information of potential preservation methods and recovery rates to determine validity of extraction methods
1. Introduction
2. Macroplastics
3. Microbial interactions
4. Chemistry and Degradation
5. Toxicity
6. Benthic Invertebrates
7. Pelagic Invertebrates
8. Fish
9. Megafauna
10. Feed and Food Webs
11. Fisheries and Aquaculture
12. Human and Public Health
13. Policy, Public Engagement
Sandra E. Shumway (Ph.D., D.Sc., Wales) is a world leader in molluscan biology. Editor of the Journal of Shellfish Research for over three decades and Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture for 15 years, she has edited or co-edited previous volumes including Shellfish Safety and Quality; Scallops: Biology, Ecology, Aquaculture, and Fisheries; Shellfish Aquaculture and the Environment; and Molluscan Shellfish Aquaculture: A Practical Guide. A former Marshall Scholar, she is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the World Aquaculture Society, the University of Wales, and is an Aldo Leopold Fellow and Honored Life Member of the National Shellfisheries Association, and Fellow of the Marine Biological Association of the UK. With almost 50 years of experience in research, outreach, and education focused on shellfish physiology, aquaculture, ecology, seafood safety, harmful algal blooms, biofouling, and microplastics, she has published more than 200 research papers, book chapters, and outreach publications. She is currently Research Professor Emerita at the University of Connecticut.
J. Evan Ward (Ph.D. University of Delaware) has studied environmental physiology of marine invertebrates for over 30 years, and is a recognized world authority on feeding processes of bivalve molluscs. His research has focused on capture, ingestion, and elimination of microplastics and nanomaterials by shellfish, and the impacts of these particles on feeding and digestive processes. He was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Career Award and two Fulbright Foreign Scholarships, and was a visiting scholar at the University of Panama and University of Exeter (UK). He served as the lead Principal Investigator and Director of the NOAA Oceans and Human Health training consortium in Connecticut focused on interdisciplinary research and training in coastal-ecosystems & human Health. Ward is a Past-President of the National Shellfisheries Association, and has authored over 100 research papers, book chapters, and reviews. He is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, and is currently professor and Head of the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut.
