{"id":585,"date":"2021-12-21T10:51:37","date_gmt":"2021-12-21T14:51:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpstaging.whoi.edu\/site\/microplastics\/?page_id=585"},"modified":"2023-08-02T14:23:15","modified_gmt":"2023-08-02T18:23:15","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<h1>About WHOI&#8217;s Microplastics Initiative<\/h1>\r\n<p>The presence in the ocean of microplastics (MPs)&#8211;small particles of plastic less than 5 mm in size&#8211;has emerged as a major cause for concern around the world. WHOI scientists\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/175\/4027\/1240\">first identified<\/a>\u00a0MPs in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/178\/4062\/749\">coastal<\/a>\u00a0and open ocean environments in the 1970s and subsequently contributed to seminal research on the presence of MPs in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre that was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/science.sciencemag.org\/content\/329\/5996\/1185\">published in 2010<\/a>. In 2017, WHOI launched a marine microplastics program, with goals that included 1) convening an\u00a0international workshop\u00a0to identify the key knowledge gaps and research questions concerning microplastic pollution in the ocean and 2) building a long-term, collaborative, interdisciplinary research program to address these questions and provide a better understanding of the MP problem and its possible solutions.<\/p>\r\n<p>Questions surrounding microplastics in the ocean are inherently complex and cross traditional disciplinary boundaries. As a result,\u00a0WHOI researchers\u00a0are working individually and collaboratively to conduct cross-disciplinary research to understand the fate and impacts of marine microplastics and their much smaller cousin, nanoplastics. The research is supported by\u00a0partners and sponsors\u00a0that include federal agencies, foundations, and individuals. WHOI scientists and engineers are also providing leadership in the microplastics research field by organizing\u00a0events\u00a0and giving\u00a0presentations\u00a0to a variety of audiences.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Capabilities<\/h2>\r\n<p>WHOI researchers have multi-disciplinary expertise and capabilities that are being applied to understand microplastics in the ocean:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Analytical chemistry, including Raman and FTIR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry<\/li>\r\n<li>Photochemistry<\/li>\r\n<li>Isotope geochemistry<\/li>\r\n<li>Physical oceanographic modeling<\/li>\r\n<li>Marine microbiology<\/li>\r\n<li>Molecular toxicology<\/li>\r\n<li>Global Rivers program<\/li>\r\n<li>Marine Policy<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>Additional details can be found associated with individual team members.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/microplastics.whoi.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2021\/12\/Collin-Ward-working-in-labADJ-768x432.jpg\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"> <img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Collin-Ward-working-in-labADJ-768x432\" src=\"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/46\/2021\/12\/Collin-Ward-working-in-labADJ-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"Working in the Lab\" \/> <\/a> Marine chemist Collin Ward working in his lab. (Photo by Jayne Doucette, \u00a9 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) <a role=\"button\" href=\"https:\/\/microplastics.whoi.edu\/about\/opportunities\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener\"> Explore Microplastics Research Opportunities <\/a><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About WHOI&#8217;s Microplastics Initiative The presence in the ocean of microplastics (MPs)&#8211;small particles of plastic less than 5 mm in size&#8211;has emerged as a major cause for concern around the world. WHOI scientists\u00a0first identified\u00a0MPs in\u00a0coastal\u00a0and open ocean environments in the 1970s and subsequently contributed to seminal research on the presence of MPs in the North&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-585","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/585","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=585"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/585\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":941,"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/585\/revisions\/941"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/website.whoi.edu\/microplastics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=585"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}