A5085176090- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Recycling and Waste Management Techniques
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and properties
- Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
Atlantic Technological University
2022-2024
Marine Institute
2022-2024
Technological University Dublin
2024
Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology
2018-2022
Floating microplastic debris at the ocean's surface represents about 1% of all plastics found in environment, with remainder thought to be either deposited along coast or sinks bottom ocean. This exploratory research on a coastal embayment Northeast Atlantic Ocean assesses floating densities and potential influence wind. A total 1182 particles were retrieved from seawater volume 2039.86 m3. The average density (0.56 ± 0.33 MP m-3) is based sample 20 manta trawls. study reports primary...
The presence of microplastics (MPs), a contaminant emerging concern, has attracted increasing attention in commercially important seafood species such as Nephrops norvegicus. This lend themselves well bioindicators environmental contamination owing to their availability, spatial and depth distribution, interactions with seafloor sediment position the ecosystem food chain. study assesses abundance MPs N. norvegicus benthic sediments across six functional units North East Atlantic. Assessment...
As urban populations grow, coastal landscapes are becoming increasingly dominated by diverse forms of artificial structures. This ‘Ocean sprawl’, the extension structures into marine environment, poses significant threats to health and functioning both estuarine ecosystems. More recently eco-engineered has focused on tackling loss biodiversity through creating novel habitats with features such as tide pools, pits, grooves, towers that promote within environments.Eco-engineered rock pools...
Microplastics are pervasive items in the environment and it has been suggested that subtidal sediments a potential sink hotspot areas for these pollutants. Due to logistic limitations, this environmental compartment is not routinely sampled, which evident limited number of studies conducted zones, compared intertidal zones open waters. In order fill part knowledge gap, study aims determine abundance microplastics shallow coastal embayment. Sediment samples were collected using Reineck box...
Marine anthropogenic litter is increasing in prevalence both the marine environment and its inhabitants. This study assesses levels of microplastics benthic infauna from 20 subtidal stations Galway Bay, Ireland. Microplastics were removed organisms using an alkaline digestion (KOH) their synthetic origin was confirmed by μFTIR spectroscopic analysis. The average number recorded for all 0.79 ± 1.14 particles individual−1, similar to previously published results on fauna North Sea. Fibres...
Microplastic concentrations have been reported in a variety of environmental matrices and organisms across the world. Assessments are essential to understand trends ensure decision-making processes that reduce pressure. In this study, combined sampling approach surface waters, benthic sediments biota Galway Bay, Ireland, was carried out. Average microplastics waters were 1.42 ± 0.33 MPs m−3, 4.46 0.36 ind−1 5.60 1.54 kg−1. The diversity polymers, microplastic types colours more abundant...
Microplastics are ubiquitous emerging contaminants found in every habitat surveyed, building upon international databases globally. Costs and accessibility often correlate to few deep sea sediment surveys, restricting the number of stations within a given sampling area. An extensive survey Porcupine Seabight, Bank, Goban Spur, south-western canyons resulted identifying microplastics surface layers from 33 44 sampled (75%), with total 83 particles (74 synthetic 9 natural) recorded. No...