Honors Theses and Capstones

Date Completed

Spring 2026

Abstract

Marine ecosystems around the world are facing the problem of plastic pollution. Large pieces of plastic eventually degrade into smaller microplastics that are suspended in the water column and sink to the seabed. Sea urchins are exposed to microplastics as they graze on the sea floor and can accidentally consume these pollutants. Sea urchins are ecologically important animals because they physically alter their ecosystem via grazing and are integral part of marine food webs. To better understand how sea urchins interact with microplastics, purple sea urchins were exposed to microfibers and microspheres in a laboratory setting, and the retention time of the plastics in their gut tissue was studied. Microfibers were retained in the gut between 1-4 days and microbeads were retained between 1-2 days. No microplastics were found in the gut a week after ingestion. Microplastics have a relatively short retention time in sea urchins and differences in microplastic shape could impact retention time. Shorter retention times may reduce the risk of trophic transfer of microplastics throughout the food web.

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

First Advisor

Dr. Wilfred Wollheim

Second Advisor

Dr. Coleen Suckling

College or School

COLSA

Department or Program

Department of Natural Resources

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

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