Fig. 1
Trends in Plankton and Microplastics Concentrations in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary Within the Past Two Years (2022-2023)
Presented by:
Brenda Genaro, Christopher Tranchina, Nayan Smith, Josiah Taylor, Madison O’Brien, Mark Garcia, and Elias Litman
New York City, Marine Biology Research Program, New York Harbor School
Mentor: Mauricio Gonzalez, M.Sc., C.A.
2023
Fig. 2
Introduction
Topic: The process of sampling microplastics & plankton, then analyzing the results and comparing them to the past two years of data.
�Rationale: This is important because there are pollutants within the harbor and this presentation will create more awareness towards this pressing Issue. Furthermore, this topic of pollution in our harbor directly correlates to the health of the organisms that inhabit it
Locality of Samples
We conducted our sampling for 2022 in Lower Manhattan near the Brooklyn Bridge. The circle on the map indicates the general area in which we sampled.
Fig. 4
Locality of Samples
We conducted our sampling for 2023 on Governors island, near Pier 101. The circle on the map indicates the general area in which we sampled.
Fig. 5
Similar studies
–Microplastics have been identified in some of our world's most isolated environments such as lakes in Mongolia, to the mountaintops of the French Pyrenees, to (Free et al., 2014; Allen et al., 2019).
–In one of the few available reports, NY-NJ Baykeeper found an average of 256,322 microplastic particles/km2 across a dozen sites in NY harbor (NY-NJ Baykeeper, 2016)
Background Information
Scientific Problem
Has there been an increase or decrease in the concentration of plankton and micro-debris in the past 2 years?
Hypothesis
There will be an increasing concentration of microplastics and a decreasing concentration in plankton over the past two years because plastics production has increased over time resulting in more of it ending up in the Harbor (Ostle, 2019). This increase of plastics displaces plankton, lowering their population (Issac, 2021).
This figure shows nurdles, which are small plastic particles
Fig. 6
Methods used to Measure Water Quality
1. Measure Dissolved Oxygen (ppm) using Winkler Method (LeMotte, 1919)
2. Measure pH with Apera Meter (1991)
3. Measure Nitrates, Nitrites, and total Alkalinity with Tetra™ Test Strips (Baensch, 1951)
4. A turbidity tube was used to measure the secchi depth
5. Use a Refractometer to measure salinity (Abbe, 1869)
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Method: Obtaining a Sample With a Beta Bottle
Step 1
Beta Bottle was lowered 1 meter into the water.
Step 2
A messenger was then sent down to activate a mechanism to collect the water for the sample (2.7L).
Step 3
Collect a 100 mL sample using glass pyrex bottles.
Step 4
Add Lugol’s solution until color turns amber to preserve the sample.
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Fig. 12
Methods: Quantifying the Samples Collected
Step 1
Add samples to a 100 mL graduated cylinder and store in a dark place for 24 hours
Step 2
Get a 1mL sample from the top of the graduated cylinder, put it in a Sedgewick Rafter Counting slide, view and record the plastics found
Step 3
Remove 89mL of the graduated cylinder leaving 10 mL, homogenize the 10 mL and use a pipette to take put 1 mL of the sample into a Sedgewick Rafter Counting slide
Step 4
View and record the plankton found, then use the equation below to calculate the concentration of the 10 mL to a concentration of 100mL
Fig. 13
Chemicals Used
PPE Used
Risks and Protective Equipment
Fig. 14
Micro-Plastic Results
Fig. 15, Microfiber
Tranchina, 2023
Fig. 16, Concentration of Different Types of Plastic in the Hudson Raritan Estuary
Results
Analysis
Plankton Results
Fig. 18, Concentration of Different Types of Plankton in the Hudson Raritan Estuary
Fig. 17: This figure shows a colonial plankton found in one of our samples
Tranchina, 2023,
Results
-There is a significantly lower amount of plankton when comparing 2022 to 2023
- There is an extreme difference between unicellular plankton in 2022 when compared to 2023
Analysis
-These results would be due to the flow of plastics into the harbor which displace the plankton (Issac, 2021).
-This is also because as surface water warms, it tends to form a distinct layer that does not mix well with cooler, nutrient-rich water below, depriving the plankton of some of the materials they need (Lauren, 2010).
Concentration of 2022 vs. 2023 in the Hudson Raritan Estuary
2022 vs. 2023 Plastic vs. Plankton Results
Fig. 20 shows a Diatom(Unicellular Plankton)Taylor, 2023
Fig. 19
Conclusion
-With the current collection of data we believe that there was a positive change in microplastics and a negative change in plankton
-A decrease in microplastic in 2023 will indicated that less plastic are making their way into the harbor
-We can conclude that these results are due to the increase of plastic production which displaces the plankton. (Issac, 2021)
-However, there were many factors that could have lead to error in our data such as faulty past or present data. Including the fact that in 2022 we were less experience identifying plastics and plankton.
Improvements for Future Research
Fig. 21
Bibliography
Avakian, M. (2021, February 22). New Study Finds Ocean Pollution a Threat to Human Health. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/geh/geh_newsletter/2021/2/articles/new_study_finds_ocean_pollution_a_threat_to_human_health.cfm
Finkel, Z. V., Beardall, J., Flynn, K. J., Quigg, A., Rees, T. A. V., & Raven, J. A. (2010, January). Phytoplankton in a changing world: cell size and elemental stoichiometry. Journal Plankton Research. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://academic.oup.com/plankt/article/32/1/119/1492394
Love, D. C., Rochman, C. M., & Neff, R. A., Smith, M. (2018, August 16). Microplastics in Seafood and the Implications for Human Health. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132564/
Barrett, L., Skolnick, A., & 5Gyres. (2016, July 6). Combating the Plastic Problem in Our Oceans with 5Gyres. DivePhotoGuide.com. https://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-special-features/article/combating-plastic-problem-oceans-5gyres/
Bibliography pt. 2
Colon, T. (2021, May 15). Microplastics in the Big Apple: A look into plastic pollution of New York City Waters. Microplastics in the Big Apple, 1(1),
Issac MN, Kandasubramanian B. Effect of microplastics in water and aquatic systems. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2021 Apr;28(16):19544-19562. doi: 10.1007/s11356-021-13184-2. Epub 2021 Mar 2. PMID: 33655475; PMCID: PMC7924819.
Ostle, C., Thompson, R.C., Broughton, D. et al. The rise in ocean plastics evidenced from a 60-year time series. Nat Commun 10, 1622 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09506-1
Smith, M., Love, D. C., Rochman, C. M., & Neff, R. A. (2018, August 16). Microplastics in Seafood and the Implications for Human Health. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved May 18, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6132564/
Trends in Plankton and Microplastics Concentrations in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary Within the Past Two Years (2022-2023)
Presented by:
Brenda Genaro, Christopher Tranchina, Nayan Smith, Josiah Taylor, Elias Litman, and Mark Garcia
New York City, Marine Biology Research Program, New York Harbor School
Mentor: Mauricio Gonzalez, M.Sc., C.A.
2023
Fig. 22