“It’s a reflection of the plastic age we live in," said student researcher Tony Blade. "It’s ubiquitous."
A study by the Alaska Environment Research and Policy Center found microplastics in all water samples from Southcentral Alaska, indicating widespread contamination.
A UAF graduate student has found microplastics in the stomachs of spotted seals harvested in the Bering Strait region.
In the North, where food prices are notoriously high, beluga whales are a staple community resource
Discovery prompts fear that melting ice will allow more plastic to be released back into the oceans. Traces of 17 different types of plastic were found in frozen seawater.
Researchers looked inside the stomachs of 34 spotted seals that were collected in Gambell and Shishmaref in 2012 and 2020. Of those, 33 contained microplastics.
Observations From Members 