Students research impact of microplastic pollution in Imperial River

Students with Florida Gulf Coast University's environmental studies program are researching pollutants that find their way into the Imperial River from storm runoff. They're specifically looking for "microplastics," which can be ingested by organisms all the way up the food chain - including people. Microplastics are broken down from larger plastic trash into pieces that are tiny but visible, and marine animals such as shellfish often mistake them for food.