Nov. 13: Microplastics in Narragansett Bay: Hotspots, pathways, and solutions

The rising price of plastic pollution

By Meredith Haas

Victoria Fulfer (Michael Salerno)

Microplastics have become a defining pollutant of our time, now detected from polar ice cores to human bloodstreams. These fragments, fibers, and beads—smaller than five millimeters and often invisible to the naked eye—form as everyday plastics break down from bags, bottles, textiles, and tires.

Lightweight, durable, and nearly indestructible, they persist for decades, accumulating in rivers, estuaries, and the ocean. Recent studies estimate that humans ingest tens of thousands of microplastic particles each year, while coastal ecosystems face mounting risks to food webs, water quality, and sediment health. Until recently, scientists lacked a clear understanding of how these pollutants travel through estuaries like Narragansett Bay, or where they tend to accumulate. University of Rhode Island researchers have found that the top two inches of the floor of Narragansett Bay contain more than 1,000 tons of microplastics.

URI researchers Sarah Davis, Ph.D. ’24 (postdoctoral research fellow) and Victoria Fulfer, Ph.D. ’24 (5 Gyres Institute) will share ongoing microplastics research and results from recent studies examining how and where microplastics accumulate in the waters and sediments of Narragansett Bay—and what that means for future studies on the impacts to coastal ecosystems.

Their presentations will be featured during Rhode Island Sea Grant’s Coastal State Discussion, held Thursday, Nov. 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (ET).

Together, their work offers the most comprehensive look yet at microplastic pathways from watershed to seabed, and what it will take to protect coastal ecosystems from this pervasive pollutant.

This virtual event is free, but registration is required. 

The Coastal State Discussion Series is a forum dedicated to highlighting current scientific research focused on marine and coastal issues affecting Rhode Island’s communities and environments.

For more information on this discussion and to be added to the email list for future Sea Grant programs, visit R.I. Sea Grant or contact Meredith Haas, mmhaas@uri.edu.