COMPARING METHODOLOGIES TO QUANTIFY MICROPLASTICS IN SEDIMENT THROUGHOUT TAMPA BAY, FL

Microplastics have been a rising concern with the increase in environmental disturbances. While microplastics have been detected throughout the water column, sediment-bound microplastics have not been immensely investigated. It is important to quantify their abundance within Tampa Bay to track the migration of plastics from the water column to the sediment. Sediment samples were compiled from seven different stations around the Bay using a Petite Ponar sampler in the fall of 2018, and 2019 by Kara Chadwick. Resampling was done in the fall of 2021 and 2022. Microplastics (>63 μm) were isolated from the sediment based on their density using a sodium iodine solution and were further separated using a centrifuge. The samples were stained with Nile red for imaging and quantification. We hypothesized that there was going to be little annual variation in sediment-bound plastic quantities, however, concentrations varied. Due to our outlying data, we updated and improved our methodology from previous years to reanalyze data from 2021 and quantify 2022 samples. This study will allow for an increased understanding of microplastic pollution and contamination.