Study into the effect of microplastics on fish quality and health

A study is underway in New Zealand at NIWA's aquaculture research facility near Whangarei to better understand how fish are being affected by micro plastics. The species being used in the study is snapper (Lutjanidae) a popular recreational fish species in New Zealand.

Auckland University masters student Veronica Rotman, under the supervision of NIWA fisheries scientist Dr Darren Parsons, is undertaking the two-part experiment to understand how one of the world's most pervasive pollutants is affecting fish in New Zealand waters.
 

Microplastic
Image credit: Oregon State University on Flickr
(CC BY-SA 2.0)

Ms Rotman says little research has been done in this area and she saw an opportunity to undertake some work that was relevant to New Zealand.

'It's critical to find out what's going on with plastic in our ecosystems, I want to see whether the plastic is egested, remains in the gut or migrates to other parts of the fish, including the flesh we eat.'

Using some coloured polystyrene, one of the ocean's top five plastic polluters, and a blender to  generate microplastics between 50 microns and 2mm in size, Ms Rotman then soaked some samples in the Waitemata Harbour for just over a month to mimic similar conditions fishes experience in the environment.

Read the full article on the NIWA website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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