Microplastics
Approximately eight million metric tons of plastics enter the oceans annually, once in the environment, these plastics can be slowly degraded by microorganisms, heat, oxidation, light or hydrolysis creating small particles better known as microplastics.
What are Microplastics?
Microplastics are small plastic particles that measure less than 5mm due to their small size they can be mistaken for food by marine organisms. The ingestion of microplastics has been identified in a variety of species, from plankton to mammals, currently more than 220 species of different trophic levels have been reported that consume microplastic particles in their natural environment and it is predicted that 99% of all species of seabirds will have ingested microplastics by 2050.
What are we doing?
Since 2019 we have been collecting the digestive systems of beached animals in Roatan to evaluate the presence of microplastics in their stomachs and their diet. With this we want to create a baseline of microplastics studies and with these results create more awareness to avoid the use of single-use plastic in the Bay Islands National Marine Park (BINMP). Furthermore we have been conducting citizen science studies through our beach microplastic survey in Roatan, Utila and Guanaja to quantify the amount of microplastic in our public beaches.
How You Can Help?
Say NO to plastic!
AVOID using single-use plastics, take your reusable products such as bottle, straw, fork, among others with you.
Report beached animals in the Bay Islands to Roatán (+504) 9796-9956 to continue our ongoing analyzes.
Join our citizen science studies to quantify and collect microplastics on Utila, Roatán and Guanaja beaches.
Donate to BICA to help continue these activities.
From the Field
Currently we have the stomach of 3 hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna sp.), 1 Gervais beaked whale (Mesoplodon europaeus), 1 hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), 1 green eel (Gymnothorax funebris), 1 red-footed booby (Sula sula), these organisms will be analyzed and the results will be shared with the public. Regarding our analysis of microplastic on the beach, 3 samplings have been carried out in Roatán beaches, 1 in Guanaja and 1 in Utila. All the beach samples contained microplastic particles.
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