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Marine Debris Team Participates in Chesapeake Bay Microplastics Workshop
MAY 6, 2019 — On April 24-25, Carlie Herring, research analyst and Jason Rolfe, Mid-Atlantic regional coordinator for the Marine Debris Program, participated in a workshop on “Microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay and its Watershed: State of the Knowledge, Data Gaps, and Relationship to Management Goals.”
This two-day workshop, held in Woodbridge, Virginia, brought together microplastics researchers and resource managers from the Mid-Atlantic to discuss the state of the research, data needs, field and laboratory research methodologies, and associated policy and management needs in regards to microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay. The event provided a forum to discuss ongoing research, pose new questions to foster collaboration, and advance understanding of this issue.
The goals of the workshop were to: 1) Assess the state of the knowledge on microplastic pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries; 2) Assess possible effects of microplastics on various habitats and associated living resources; 3) Identify existing policy and management tools being used to address plastic pollution in the watershed and beyond, and their effectiveness; and 4) Identify research gaps moving forward, and develop recommendations for further studies or new tools. A summary document detailing the events of the workshop and recommendations for the Chesapeake Bay Program's Executive Committee will become available this summer.
For further information, contact Jason.Rolfe@noaa.gov or Carlie.Herring@noaa.gov.