Elise Granek

Dr. Elise Granek, Professor

Department of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University

“Emerging contaminants in our oceans: where, what, and why does it matter for ecological community resilience?”

Resilience of ecological communities is tested by anthropogenic stressors. One such stressor affecting marine ecological communities is the increasing presence of emerging contaminants in coastal and marine ecosystems. Emerging contaminants, including pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and microplastics, among others, vary spatially and seasonally. What are the effects of exposure on marine organisms and community interactions? Dr. Granek will discuss spatial and temporal variability in contaminants in oysters in Oregon as well as lab-based studies on the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of several pharmaceuticals on algal, mussel, and crab species.