Field Trip Report: Microplastics

Zachary Zhao

"Plastics and Microplastics: An Emerging Global Issue" (Making Waves Webinar)

Chesapeake Bay Foundation live webinar, 20 May 2020 (65 min) -- recorded replay

What I watched. Marine microbiologist Dr. Fred Dobbs breaks down the global plastics budget (about 400 Mt per year produced, 11 Mt reaches oceans), then zooms into micro- and nano-scale fragments. Data on "plastisphere" microbial communities and filter-feeder ingestion rates show ecological stakes. Local Bay case studies link storm-drain litter to watershed health, and Dobbs ends with circular-economy fixes and individual reduction habits.

Course connections. (1) Systems thinking -- tracks plastics from consumer choice to river outfalls, matching our material-flow diagrams. (2) Environmental justice -- urban outfalls and seafood safety mirror class discussions on unequal pollutant exposure.

Personal take-aways. Quantifying Bay-bound litter was eye-opening; I am swapping bottled drinks for a filter and carrying reusable sampling vials in lab. The talk showed how chemistry, biology and policy must align, and how small design tweaks -- like ditching microbeads -- scale when adopted widely.