Distribution, Fate and Impacts of Plastic Pollution in Aquatic Environments Associate Professor Mark Osborn School of Applied Sciences,
RMIT University Email: Mark.Osborn@rmit.edu.au Twitter: @MicrobialLife
Living in the Plastic Age‌
Dying and Suffering in the Plastic Age‌
http://platypusspot.org/
5 Trillion Plastic Pieces; 250,000 tons‌
Click here to go to open-access Research Article Showing Global Map (Figure 2) of Plastic Distribution in Surface Waters of World’s Oceans
Eriksen et al (2014) PLoS One
An Australian Marine Problem‌
Click here to go to open-access Research Article showing Map (Figure 4) of Plastic Distribution in Australian Offshore Surface Waters
Reisser et al (2013) PLoS One
The Hidden Plastic Problem: Microplastics
Plastic Transport via Stormwater Drains
(Micro)-plastics on West Beach, St Kilda below Stormwater Outflow
Fate of Plastic in Aquatic Environments
Click here to go to open-access Research Article showing Fate of and Sinks for Plastic in Surface Waters and Benthic Habitats (Figure 1)
Tosin et al., (2012) Frontiers Microbiol.
Plastic as a Sponge for Marine Pollutants
Click here to go to webpage showing image of plastic acting as a source and sink of co-pollutant chemicals
Microbial Colonisation of Plastic Surfaces Day 0
Day 14
SP1
SP2
WB1 Harrison et al., (2014) BMC Microbiol. 14, 232.
Scanning electron micrographs of LDPE surface in sediment at 14 days Arrows indicate “degradation” pits in LDPE surface; bar = 5µm
What do Microbes do on Plastics ? Degradation of plastics? Degradation of plastic-adsorbed co-pollutants? Driving transport of buoyant plastic to deeper waters and sediments (and benthic fauna) due to biofouling? Transport vector for microbial pathogens to larger aquatic organisms?
Our Current Research at RMIT: Microbiology/Chemistry of Marine, Freshwater & Sediment (Micro)-Plastics (Australia and Port Phillip) Plastic Pollution in Seabirds (Shearwaters) – funded by SeaWorld Research and Rescue Foundation Ingested Plastics in Seals (with Phillip Island Nature Parks)
Microbes on Plastic in the Yarra
Bioplastic Coffee Lid
Microbial biofilms on plastic after 3-months exposure in the Yarra
Research Approach
Plastic identification
Field Sampling
Sediments
Co-pollutant identification 3-Month Exposure Experiments
Plastic abundance
DNA-analysis of microbial diversity and function
Plastic Ingestion in Shearwaters
Building Stakeholder Partnership & Links (2014-)
New 2-Year Research Grant (Starts Nov. 2015)
+ Knowledge Exchange Scientific Evidence
+
Stakeholder Expertise
Forum and Expert Group on Plastic Pollution driving Environmentally-Sustainable Usage of Plastic in Victoria and Australia
+ Government / City Council Stakeholders
Thank you to: Dr. Jesse Harrison Dr. Sonja Oberbeckmann Dr. Slobodanka Stojkovic Dr. Jennifer Lavers (UTAS) Taylor Gundry Karl Jaeger
If you would like to know more or would like to partner with us on our new project on aquatic plastic pollution then please contact: Email: Mark.Osborn@rmit.edu.au Twitter: @MicrobialLife A copy of the original full presentation from the VLAA Marine Debris meeting (Nov. 2015 St Kilda, Melbourne) is also available on request by email from: Mark.Osborn@rmit.edu.au