Our Project:

Beginning in 2017, the  Microplastics in Tampa Bay project was started with funding from the Tampa Bay Environmental Restoration Fund (TBERF). This project was originally only going to be one-year ($40,000), however, TBERF continued to fund the project for two more years with an additional $108,736. This funding allows Eckerd College students to conduct research on microplastics in the Tampa Bay area through a variety of research methods.

We are a student led undergraduate research program focusing on establishing a sustainable microplastics monitoring program for Tampa Bay. Our goal is to assess spatial and temporal trends in microplastic concentration in surface waters, to monitor the microplastic load in both small and large grazers, and to measure the microplastic concentrations in sediments and effluent from local wastewater treatment facilities.

For any questions, please email us at: microplastic@eckerd.edu