About the Project
Background & Objective
Microplastics contamination is widespread in the water-column and sediments of marine and freshwater ecosystems across the globe. Plastic can be consumed by a wide range of organisms, including zooplankton, fish, seabirds and megafauna. Highly productive coastal waters, in which fishing and aquaculture is prevalent, are particularly susceptible to microplastic contamination owing to their proximity to sources of anthropogenic pollution. It is therefore of little surprise that microplastic particles and fibres have been identified in animals destined for human consumption (e.g. shellfish, fish). In recent years there has been growing evidence that microplastic particles and fibres can cause adverse health effects in biota and microplastic is an emerging issue of concern for human health and food security. You will test the hypothesis that microplastics pose a risk to marine life and food security. Key research questions include:
• What is the current and predicted likelihood of animals consuming plastic in coastal areas?
• At what concentrations do microplastics pose a risk to the health of marine animals?
• How are microplastics handled by bivalves?
• Are fisheries and aquaculture at risk of high microplastic exposure?
Research methodology and Training. The student will be based at Plymouth Marine Laboratory with access to modern laboratories, the new ultraclean microplastics research facility and the Research Vessel Plymouth Quest. The student will design and conduct a comprehensive field sampling campaign; and employ laboratory-based exposure studies to determine how microplastics are handled by bivalves, and how they can affect animals relevant to aquaculture by monitoring biomarkers of health. The student will receive training in a broad range of analytical techniques (isolation of plastics, characteristation, FT-IR analysis, electron microscopy), health biomarkers (ingestion rates, apical endpoints, sub-lethal endpoints), fieldwork, experimental design, scientific writing and statistics.
This project has been shortlisted for funding by the EnvEast NERC Doctoral Training Partnership, comprising the Universities of East Anglia, Essex and Kent, with over twenty other research partners. Undertaking a PhD with the EnvEast DTP will involve attendance at mandatory training events throughout the course of the PhD.
Shortlisted applicants will be interviewed on 12/13 February 2018.
For further information, please visit www.enveast.ac.uk/apply.
For more information on the supervisor for this project, please go here: http://www.pml.ac.uk/People/Science_Staff/Dr_Matthew_Cole
Type of programme: PhD
Start date of project: October 2018
Mode of study: Full time or part time
Length of studentships: 3.5 years
Acceptable first degree: Biological, Environmental, Marine sciences or Biochemistry
Standard minimum entry requirement: 2:1 or equivalent
Funding Notes
Successful candidates who meet RCUK’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a NERC studentship - in 2017/18, the stipend is £14,553. In most cases, UK and EU nationals who have been resident in the UK for 3 years are eligible for a stipend. For non-UK EU-resident applicants NERC funding can be used to cover fees, RTSG and training costs, but not any part of the stipend. Individual institutes may, however, elect to provide a stipend from their own resources.
References
(i) Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Fileman, E., Halsband, C. & Galloway, T.S. (2015). Impact of polystyrene microplastics on feeding, function and fecundity in the marine copepod Calanus helgolandicus. Environmental Science & Technology. 49: 1130–1137.
(ii) Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Fileman, E., Halsband, C., Goodhead, R., Moger, J., & Galloway, T.S. (2013). Ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton. Environmental Science & Technology. 47: 6646–6655.
(iii) Cole, M., Lindeque, P., Halsband, C. & Galloway, T.S. (2011). Microplastics as contaminants in the marine environment: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 62: 2588–2597.
(iv) Steer, M., Cole, M., Thompson, R.C., & Lindeque, P.K. (2017). Microplastic ingestion in fish larvae in the western English Channel. Environmental Pollution. 226, 250-259.
(v) Clark, J., Cole, M., Lindeque, P.K., Fileman, E., Blackford, J., Lewis, C., Lenton, T., & Galloway, T.S. (2016). Marine microplastic debris: a targeted plan for understanding and quantifying interactions with marine life. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 14: 317–324.
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