The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) will host a webinar on March 28 at 1 p.m. discussing how microplastics transfer through the marine food chain, using current research, models, and case studies. Experts will review findings from the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, highlight ongoing initiatives, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Presentation topics and speakers include:
- “Microplastic Uptake by Shorebirds from Horseshoe Crab Eggs” – Mark Botton, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Fordham University
- “Microplastic Ingestion Pathways from Mysid Shrimp” – Bob Murphy, Tetra Tech
- “Microplastic Accumulation in Humpback Whales” – Shirel Kahane-Rapport, Ph.D., Old Dominion University
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Manager Donna Morrow will moderate the webinar and facilitate discussions. See below for speaker bios.
The webinar will be the second in a four-part webinar series exploring the impact of microplastics and microfibers on coastal and ocean resources in the Mid-Atlantic region. Leading researchers and policy experts will discuss key concerns, research gaps, and emerging solutions to this growing challenge. These sessions aim to share the latest scientific findings, spark conversations, and identify actionable steps for regional stakeholders.
Visit the Marine Debris Work Group web page for updates on future webinars. Questions about the webinars may be directed events@midatlanticocean.org
Speaker Bios
Mark Botton
Dr. Mark L. Botton is professor of biology (emeritus) in the Department of Natural Sciences at Fordham University – Lincoln Center in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Stony Brook University, his master’s in biology from Brooklyn College, and his Ph.D. in zoology from Rutgers University. Botton has published over 70 articles and book chapters on various aspects of horseshoe crab biology, and is the co-editor of three books, “Biology and Conservation of Horseshoe Crabs,” “Changing Global Perspectives on Horseshoe Crab Biology, Conservation and Management,” and “International Horseshoe Crab Conservation and Research Efforts: 2007- 2020,” all published by Springer. He and his students have studied the effects of pollutants, including heavy metals and organic compounds, on embryonic and larval horseshoe crabs. and most recently, have documented the occurrence and potential trophic transfer of microplastics from horseshoe crab eggs to shorebirds in Jamaica Bay, New York. Botton is the co-chairman of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group, which advocates for the science-based conservation of horseshoe crabs and their essential spawning and nursery habitats.
Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy is a marine ecologist who specializes in fish ecology and habitat assessment and restoration with extensive experience in freshwater and coastal systems. His work has focused largely on examining how aquatic habitat alteration affects changes in biological communities, using fish as model organisms. He has worked closely with state and federal government resource managers, in addition to academia, to develop new approaches to habitat assessment and restoration in watersheds. Mr. Murphy initiated a workshop funded by the Chesapeake Bay Program to evaluate the state of the knowledge, gaps in data, and potential management solutions for microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in 2019. He was lead author of the workshop report. He continues to serve as an expert in microplastic occurrence in the aquatic environment, including field studies evaluating abundances in fish, SAV habitat, source tracking, and trophic transfer.
Shirel Kahane-Rapport
Shirel Kahane-Rapport is an assistant professor at Old Dominion University (ODU), where she studies the ecophysiology, biomechanics, and fluid dynamics of large filter-feeding marine vertebrates, particularly baleen whales. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of filtration in baleen whales, recording baleen whale behavior through biologging, and microplastic ingestion risk and trophic transfer in Chesapeake Bay ecosystems. She completed her post-doctoral work as a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow in biology at California State University, Fullerton. Shirel earned her Ph.D. at Stanford University and her B.Sc. at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada).
MODERATOR: Donna Morrow
Donna Morrow is the director of the Center for Marine and Coastal Stewardship, within the Chesapeake and Coastal Service, of Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources. She has served on the MARCO Marine Debris Work Group since 2017 and sits on the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Plastic Pollution Action Team. She leads efforts to reduce and recycle plastic waste from the marine industry, with whom she works closely in her role as coordinator of Maryland’s Clean Marina Initiative. She has worked at the Department of Natural Resources for close to 27 years and remains passionate about addressing marine and coastal environmental issues.