From the Diet of the Rhinoceros Auklet: Quantifying Microplastics in Juvenile Shortbelly Rockfish
Laila Sanahmadi
College of Science & Engineering
Faculty Supervisor: Ellen Hines
The rising concern of plastic marine debris and its environmental impact has been growing since the 1970s and it is considered to be one of the most common marine pollutants. Consumed directly or indirectly (through prey), plastic debris can have devastating impacts of the welfare of individual seabirds and their populations. In this study, we are chemically digesting shortbelly rockfish (Sebastes jordani), collected as part of a diet study of the rhinoceros auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata), for microplastics from the years 2012 to 2017. Collected on the Southeast Farallon Island, the plastic particles found in these fish give insight to the presence of plastic in the waters of the Farallones and in the diet of the rhinoceros auklet.