Publications by authors named "Goetz Schuerholz"
Article Synopsis
- Widespread microplastic pollution is impacting marine-coastal ecosystems in British Columbia, Canada, with a focus on two estuaries—Cowichan and K'ómoks—affected by different human activities.
- Microplastics were analyzed in sediment and varnish clams, revealing higher sediment concentrations in K'ómoks (30.96 particles/kg) compared to Cowichan (14.37 particles/kg), while clams showed higher microplastic levels in Cowichan (3.62 particles/g) than K'ómoks (2.24 particles/g).
- The study found fibers as the most common microplastic type in both locations, indicating potential textile pollution, and identified polyethylene and polyester as the leading polymer types in the respective
Documenting the prevalence of microplastics in marine-coastal ecosystems serves as a first step towards understanding their impacts and risks presented to higher trophic levels. Estuaries exist at the interface between freshwater and marine systems, and provide habitats for a diverse suite of species, including shellfish, fish, and birds. We provide baseline values for estuarine mudflats using sediment samples collected at Cowichan-Koksilah Estuary in British Columbia, Canada, a biologically-rich estuary.
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