Marine Microplastic Researcher
June 2019 - July 2021
Applied Coastal Ecology - Portland, OR
Honors Thesis: Sea Surface Microplastics: an Inshore-Offshore Gradient Off the Olympic Peninsula
The proposed methods were presented at the Seattle Aquarium's Microplastic Methodology Workshop on Oct. 1-2, 2019 and the 30th annual Pacific Northwest regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (PNW-SETAC) virtual conference on April 15-16, 2021. The final thesis was awarded the 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award by the Environmental Science & Management department of Portland State University in the spring of 2020.
Designed research methodologies based on a current literature review in the emerging field of microplastic research
Collected marine field samples on the NOAA Research vessel Bell M. Shimada over the course of 10 days
Digestion of organic matter on samples via 10% KOH dilution
Design & implementation of quality control and quality assurance of data integrity via lab controls, filtration, and thorough cleaning of materials
Microscope lab identification, analysis & photography - proportions & types of microplastics (morphology & polymer type)
Citation:
Wood, Rosemary, "Sea Surface Microplastics: an Inshore-Offshore Gradient Off the Olympic Peninsula" (2020). University Honors Theses. Paper 905. https://doi.org/10.15760/honors.926
Rough Lab Methods to Share:
Filtration of DI water
2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award Ceremony
