Kitsap Audubon learns about plastic pollution

Published 11:35 am Thursday, September 8, 2016

The Kitsap Audubon Society will gather for the program “Effects of plastic pollution on marine wildlife” tonight at the Poulsbo Library.

Peter Hodum will be the guest speaker.

Plastic debris in the oceans is a huge and growing concern globally, with plastic accumulating in marine habitats from the equators to the poles, and from coastlines to the middle of ocean basins. Although patterns of plastic ingestion by marine wildlife, such as sea turtles, marine mammals and seabirds, are increasingly well-documented, the consequences of ingestion remain poorly understood.

The pervasiveness of marine plastics, especially micro-plastics, throughout marine food webs is also unknown.

In this talk, Hodum will discuss the magnitude of the marine plastic pollution issue, the impacts of plastic debris on marine wildlife, and the use of biological indicators, ranging from seabirds to mussels, to better understand the impacts of plastics on marine ecosystems.

He will also talk about the challenges and opportunities of dealing with this global environmental issue.

Hodum is an associate professor at the University of Puget Sound and the Chile Program Director for Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge, a conservation non-profit organization.

In Chile, Hodum leads a long-term program dedicated to conducting applied conservation research, restoration and community-based conservation programs. His research focuses primarily on the conservation and ecology of threatened seabirds and island ecosystems in Chile and here in Washington state.

His research program also addresses issues related to marine plastic debris and its impacts on marine wildlife.

Kitsap Audobon meets at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8 in the community room of the Poulsbo Library, 700 NE Lincoln Road.

For more information, contact Gene Bullock at genebullock@comcast.net or 360-394-5635.