Effort underway to begin closing gaps in microplastics exposure data

SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to close knowledge gaps in how aquatic life are adversely affected by exposure to microplastics pollution, following the release of a statewide microplastics management strategy that called on researchers to fill these data gaps.

The work kicked off in September with a two-year toxicity and bioaccumulation study examining how fish, oysters and other marine life are affected by exposure to microplastic fibers.

This microplastics exposure study is one of the first to be launched that is specifically designed to address research needs and data gaps identified by the California Ocean Protection Council in its Statewide Microplastics Strategy, published earlier this year.