Research at World's End

Microplastics—microscopic bits of plastic broken off of discarded items—are everywhere.
Even at the furthest reaches of the globe.

Elizabeth Lee, who's pursuing a master’s degree in biology, is learning firsthand how widely microplastics are distributed. Lee voyaged on the 138-passenger vessel National Geographic Resolution for 20 days in February and March on a voyage organized by Lindblad Expeditions—National Geographic.

Lee’s participation was made possible through connections forged by her mentors Abby Hare, associate professor and program coordinator for the Master of Science in Biology program, and Thomas Klinger, professor emeritus and former coordinator for the master’s in biology.

“Bloomsburg alumna Kim Martin Baldwin ’88 made the connections for us to do this,” says Klinger, who accompanied Lee on the voyage. “Kim is a staff naturalist for Lindblad/National Geographic. When she heard that berths were open for researchers, she let us know.”

Being offered berths aboard the Resolution is extraordinarily special. The vessel, purpose-built for exploration, is one of just four like it in the world. The ship, an icebreaker, is designed with an anchor-free propulsion system that allows it to back out of shallow coastal waters without damaging fragile seafloor. 

“The samples I collected during this expedition will be the foundation for my thesis project,” says Lee, an Honors College student who graduated from CU–Bloomsburg in December with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a bachelor’s degree in biology. “This was an amazing opportunity and I am excited to have done research on a continent that not many people get the chance to see.”

Lee’s experience this year builds on previous research and trips taken by Hare and Klinger. In 2022, Hare collected limpets, small snaillike grazing animals, from the shallow waters off of the Antarctic Peninsula and the shores of Patagonia. “Microplastics consumed at the base of food webs by grazers may have profound consequences as the particles move up food chains,” says Hare. 

The Antarctic research builds upon previous work that Klinger has done on microplastics in clams and crayfish in Pennsylvania streams. 

“In other parts of the world, microplastics have been shown to decrease the growth, weight, energy, and food consumption of animals,” says Klinger. 

“When discarded, plastic items are physically and biologically degraded into microplastic particles. Microplastic pollution in the environment is distributed widely, going as far as to include Antarctica,” explains Hare, who has witnessed firsthand larger pieces of plastic garbage washing up on the shores of the Patagonian peninsula just north of Antarctica. “However, very little is known about the potential impacts of microplastics upon animals grazing in the polar oceans. Our project is documenting the amount of microplastic consumed by common near-shore creatures of the Antarctic seas.” 

Samples from the latest trip will be shipped to campus, a process that can take months. But the researchers are now analyzing the samples from the 2022 expedition. For Lee, the decision to continue her education in the master’s program and to participate in the expedition was based on the mentoring she found in the biology department. “Originally, I had no intention of going to graduate
school. I chose Bloomsburg because of the relationship with Dr. Hare.”

Strong mentorship is built into the DNA of the MS in biology program. “The program provides one-to-one mentorships with faculty,” says Hare, who as a former Steven Jones Professional U Fellow, has been recognized for her work in connecting students to transformative experiences.

Lee plans on using her experiences in the graduate program to make her a top high school teacher. “When I started at Bloomsburg, my goal was to be an early childhood and special education teacher,” says Lee, who has received support from a professional experience grant from Michael and Beth Ann Boguski and a scholarship from David and Robbie Soltz. 

“I realized in my first year that I missed being in science courses, so in my sophomore year I changed my major to secondary education biology. I found what I am passionate about. My love for teaching has never changed. My goal is to complete a master’s degree, and then become a high school biology teacher.” 

For Hare and Klinger, the latest voyage is another step in a continuing project. “This summer,” says Hare, “Thom and I are continuing the project in Iceland—the other polar region.”

This story appears in the summer 2024 issue of Bloomsburg, The University Magazine.