NEW BEDFORD Walk by a salt marsh and you ll see tall grasses, a glassy water surface and perhaps a few local bird species. By sight alone, the marsh may appear to be in its natural state.
According to a new study, though, some marshes built up for years and years by layers of sediment contain countless plastic fragments and fibers under their surfaces, some so tiny they re only visible through a microscope.
Javier Lloret, a research scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and a lead author, said the study is the first step in considering what implications microplastics have for salt marshes.
Cape Cod, New Bedford salt marshes contain microplastics, study finds
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Study: Microplastics Infiltrate Region s Salt Marshes
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IMAGE: The Marine Biological Laboratory s Swope Center, which includes campus dining halls. A new study by MBL Ecosystems Center scientists examines ways to reduce the nitrogen footprint of smaller institutions,. view more
Credit: Marine Biological Laboratory
WOODS HOLE, Mass. Nitrogen is an element basic for life plants need it, animals need it, it s in our DNA but when there s too much nitrogen in the environment, things can go haywire. On Cape Cod, excess nitrogen in estuaries and salt marshes can lead to algal blooms, fish kills, and degradation of the environment.
In a study published in