Evaluating plastics impacts on marine fauna

Our ultimate goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the impact of marine debris on seabird health, survey the prevalence of ingested debris in populations, and ultimately model the lethal and sub-lethal effects of current levels of debris ingestion on seabird populations. We are running an experiment with a model species to identify potential sub-lethal impacts from plastics ingestion and associated chemical contamination.
We are asking: Is ingested plastic associated with endocrine disruption? The expected outcome includes empirical evidence of endocrine disruption (or lack thereof) associated with ingestion of varying quantities of virgin and environmentally contaminated plastics.

For more information, contact Denise Hardesty or Chris Wilcox