Session Lead: Noah Tait (Virginia Institute of Marine Science Center for Coastal Resources Management)
Co-Lead(s): Meredith Seeley
Session Format: Oral presentations
Session Description:
Marine debris, defined as any manmade materials or objects abandoned, disposed, or otherwise discarded which persist unattended in coastal or oceanic environments, is a globally recognized issue. In 2014, it was estimated that 5.25 trillion particles weighing over 260 million tons are present in the world’s oceans (Eriksen et al. 2014). Marine debris presents several threats to marine ecosystems and coastal communities which rely economically on oceans and estuaries. Marine macroplastics (often defined as objects or fragments greater than 0.5 mm in diameter) threaten wildlife via ingestion and entanglement, act as dispersion vectors for invasive species, and can introduce potentially harmful chemical additives and contaminants to marine food webs. Microplastics (plastic particles > 0.5 mm) also function as a mechanism for introduction of toxic compounds to food webs via incidental ingestion and bioaccumulation, including trophic transfer to human diets. Abandoned, lost and derelict fishing gear (ALDFG) such as traps, nets, and lines have also garnered considerable attention due to their ability to entangle vulnerable wildlife, entrap target and non-target bycatch species (ghost fishing), and introduce plastic contaminants as they degrade. As the largest estuary in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay watershed sustains a human population of over 18 million people. Due to its large size and high level of human activity, the Bay is heavily impacted by marine debris.
We propose holding a special session on the topic of marine debris at the Chesapeake Community Research Symposium. Speakers will be invited to share oral presentations about research which deals directly with marine debris in the Chesapeake Bay. Presentations may be about any category of marine debris and may deal broadly with research that relates to description, effects, prevention, or removal of debris. In keeping with the theme of the Symposium, “Next Generation Tools for a Dynamic Future”, presentations should introduce novel research that leverages innovative investigative or restoration methods, including but not limited to long-term monitoring data, geospatial analysis, remote sensing, or artificial intelligence/machine learning. Abstracts need not fit perfectly into one of these categories, and consideration will be given to all proposals which showcase innovative marine debris research. The session will be chaired by a researcher with a derelict fishing gear background and co-chaired by at least one other researcher with expertise in microplastics and plastic compound analysis.