Plastic ingestion in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) on the east coast of Newfoundland, Canada : results from a citizen science monitoring project, with policy recommendations for long-term monitoring

• Main Author: Melvin, Jessica, 1991-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn á Akureyri
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Coastal and marine management; University Centre of the Westfjords; Haf- og strandsvæðastjórnun; Háskólasetur Vestfjarða; Meistaraprófsritgerðir; Sjávarmengun; Plast; Forvarnir; Canada; Haf; atlantic cod; Gadus morhua; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/28666

Verkefnið er lokað til 23.05.2018. Marine plastics are a pollutant that has touched every ocean and sea on earth, despite their recent development and proliferation within the last century. In the face of their pervasiveness, monitoring and management of this globally recognized pollutant is hindered by a lack of knowledge regarding their sources, distribution and impacts, combined with a lack of standardized protocols for the study of these factors. The aim of this thesis is twofold. First, the ingestion of marine plastics by Atlantic cod (an important country food) is quantified in Newfoundland waters, resulting in a frequency of occurrence of 2.01%. Together with a similar study conducted in the previous year this research helps to address the knowledge gap concerning marine plastics in Newfoundland waters (and seafood) by establishing a baseline for plastic ingestion in a culturally and practically important local food fish. The research also addresses the lack of standardization in this field of research by promoting the use of protocols that are applicable to the highest variety of actors in the future, of varying skill sets and resources. Second, given this baseline knowledge and protocol guidelines, this thesis presents policy recommendations for the monitoring of marine plastics in Newfoundland. A community based participatory research program is recommended, which will build on the existing research framework to eventually become a grassroots environmental monitoring program that directly addresses the needs of Newfoundland’s small communities through their vested involvement in the Atlantic cod biomonitoring program.