- The data collected helped support our hypothesis. All oyster samples located in marsh wetlands had more microplastics then the oysters in the non-marsh wetlands.
- This implies that, marsh wetlands oysters ingest more microplastics
- This also exemplifies that, because of runoff from the human population this is greatly affecting the oyster’s reproductive health
- This would also affect the river’s health as the oyster's population starts to die out more algae begin to bloom
- This would greatly affect the human population as the water quality would go down
- There would need to be a political action in order to save the aquatic wildlife in the Elizabeth River
- Crassostrea virginica, otherwise known as Eastern oysters are native to Elizabeth City River.
- They are natural filter feeders and build oyster reefs in which other species can live in
- Because of this filter feeding mechanism, they play vital role in the overall Elizabeth City River as they are natural bioindicators
- Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long which can be harmful to our ocean and aquatic life (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
- The main problem with microplastics in oysters is that they affect the reproductive system and their offspring’s performance.
- This is a consequential response to the environment thus, oysters are the backbone to Elizabeth River’s aquatic ecosystem.
The Differentiation of Microplastics in a Sample of the Lafayette River:
Implications on the River and the Community’s Health
Cidney Hart, Sidne Moore, Kayla Jordan, Niya Thompson, and Dr. Ashley Haines
Norfolk State University, Dept. of Biology, Norfolk, VA 23504
- The Eastern oysters that were used in this experiment were collected from the Lafayette River in Norfolk, VA on behalf of the Elizabeth River Project Foundation
- All materials were screened for microplastics contamination(filters, petri dish, DI water, air in the workspace) glass and equipment were used whenever possible
- The oysters were then shucked and extracted for their tissue samples
- The oysters were placed in a 10% KOH solution concentrated at a ratio of 3:1 based on the tissue’s displacement volume in a 250 mL bottle
- The oysters were then incubated for 45 hours at 40℃ with vigorous shaking
- The tissues were then vacuum filtered using Whatman #1 filters and then examined under a stereoscope with a digital camera attached
- The samples were counted and categorized by the type of microplastic and the color. The counting process was done twice to ensure accuracy and then averaged to measure the frequency of the microplastics occurring.
- The data was then entered into Microsoft Excel to develop a comprehensible graph to quantify and model our tissue sample results
- Dr. Ashley Haines, NSU Biology Department
- Elizabeth River Project Non-profit Foundation
HYPOTHESIS
- The oysters that are located by marsh land will have more microplastics embedded in them than the non-marsh oysters.
APPLICATION
- This will improve our understanding of the relationship between shorelines and oyster health.
- This will also help discover the types and relative quantities of microplastics found in Lafayette River in Norfolk, VA.
- It will help us provide data for shoreline restoration planning
- All samples contained microplastics
- In the marsh samples, it showed that there was a greater presence of microplastics.
- Contrastingly, the non-marsh samples did show as much frequency of microplastics
- As well, there was a greater content of blue microplastics than anything else
- As well, there were more micro fragments than microfibers in those samples
- Fisheries, NOAA. “Oyster Reef Habitat.” NOAA, 4 Feb. 2022, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/oyster-reef-habitat.
- Galloway, Tamara S, “Marine Microplastics Spell Big Problems for Future Generations.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, National Academy of Sciences, 1 Mar. 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4780651/.
- “Groundwork Elizabeth: Reconnecting the City and the River.” Urban Waters Learning Network, 10 Apr. 2019, https://urbanwaterslearningnetwork.org/resources/groundwork-elizabeth-reconnecting-city-river/.
- Oyster Reproduction Is Affected by Exposure to ... - PNAS. https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1519019113.
- “The World Is Your Oyster and Your Plastic Pollution Is Getting into It.” New Security Beat, https://www.newsecuritybeat.org/2020/07/world-oyster-plastic-pollution/.
Graph 3: This graph compares the
number of micro-fragments and microfibers found in the oyster’s tissues in the marsh versus non marsh areas.
Graph 2: In this graph it shows the different colors of
microplastics, and microfibers found throughout the oyster’s tissues.
- Water Quality Conference
- Increased Funding for Elizabeth River Project
- Apply for grants to help this project grow
- Increase community engagement in the Hampton Roads Community
Graph 1: In this graph, the total amount of Microplastics identified in oysters from the Lafayette River in the Marsh areas versus the non-marsh areas.
Fig 2: Photo of oyster tissue extraction in
laboratory classroom
Fig 1: Photo of oyster tissue filtration in laboratory classroom