Roisin Nash

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• PhD in Zoology National University of Ireland
• Senior Lecturer at Atlantic Technological University

Microplastics are ubiquitous emerging contaminants found in every habitat surveyed, building upon international databases globally. Costs and accessibility often correlate to few deep sea sediment surveys, restricting the number of stations within a given sampling area. An extensive survey of the Porcupine Seabight, Porcupine Bank, the Goban Spur,...

28 29 Funding information 30 This research was funded by JPI Oceans MicroplastiX project 31 https://www.microplastix.org/ in France, Ireland, Spain and Italy 32 33 This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4704501 P r e p r i n t n o t p e e r r e v i e w e d 2 of 34 34 GRAPHICA...

The biorefinery and valorisation of sustainable bioresources such as seaweeds have increased in response to global circular economy initiatives. Several seaweed species are exploited worldwide in the biofertilizer, nutrition, bioenergy, cosmetics, or pharmaceutical sectors. Brown seaweeds are widespread, easily accessible, and abundant in northwest...

BACKGROUND The drive towards ensuring the sustainability of bioresources has been linked with better valorising primary materials and developing biorefinery pipelines. Seaweeds constitute valuable coastal resources with applications in the bioenergy, biofertiliser, nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetic sectors. Owing to the various sought‐after me...

Microplastic concentrations have been reported in a variety of environmental matrices and organisms across the world. Assessments of environmental concentrations are essential to understand trends and ensure decision-making processes that reduce environmental pressure. In this study, a combined sampling approach to surface waters, benthic sediments...

Microplastics are a major global concern in the marine environment. The use of marine biota to monitor MP pollution has been previously highlighted as a method of providing data. This review focuses on the current data available on the presence of microplastics in Nephrops norvegicus, a commercially important seafood species, highlighting the advan...

The environmental fate of microplastics (MPs) added to agricultural soils remains poorly understood, particularly regarding their mobility in soils. Here we investigate the potential for MP export from soil to surface waters and groundwater in two agricultural settings with a 20-year history of biosolid treatment. A third site where biosolids had n...

As plastic production continues to increase, we are seeing significant quantities of microplastics (MPs), a contaminant of emerging concern, being recorded worldwide. This research project has identified key challenges and recommendations that target MP pollution, highlighting immediate measures that could manage MP debris at known sources. This wi...

The ubiquitous nature of microplastics in aquatic ecosystems may have serious implications for aquatic biota. While microplastic research in freshwater ecosystems is increasing, very few studies have assessed the physical presence of microplastics among top predators. The Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), a top predator of aquatic ecosystems, is one of...

Size-selective harvesting of intertidal molluscs is a common practice. However, the effects of long-term traditional harvesting remain unclear. Changes in mean shell size are generally taken as evidence of changes in harvesting intensity. However, mean shell size is also influenced by environmental pressures, which may confound the analysis of size...

Microplastics (MPs) are an extensive global contaminant in the marine environment, known to be ingested by marine organisms. The presence of MPs in the commercially important marine decapod crustacean Nephrops norvegicus (Dublin Bay Prawn) has been documented for the North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean, however, uncertainties remain about ret...

Microplastics are a pervasive pollutant of aquatic ecosystems and are reported to interact with a wide range of aquatic biota. The complexities of natural food webs means that the transfer and accumulation of microplastics is difficult to assess, and only a handful of studies have attempted to quantify trophic transfer in freshwater biota. Bioaccum...

The presence of microplastics (MPs), a contaminant of emerging concern, has attracted increasing attention in commercially important seafood species such as Nephrops norvegicus. This species lend themselves well as bioindicators of environmental contamination owing to their availability, spatial and depth distribution, interactions with seafloor se...

Marine anthropogenic litter is increasing in prevalence in both the marine environment and its inhabitants. This study assesses the levels of anthropogenic microplastics in benthic infauna from 20 subtidal stations in Galway Bay, Ireland. Microplastics were removed from the organisms using an alkaline digestion (KOH) and their synthetic origin was...

Technical report on sources, pathway; impacts on vulnerable ecosystems, biota and climate; and short-, medium- and long-term policy recommendations for microplastics

The breadth of material this book covers includes wide range of issues related to aquaculture production, including its development history, farming systems and technology aspects, seed production, feed and feeding, health management, genetics and selective breeding, climate change impacts, etc., with a focus on the Southeast Asian region of Thaila...

This booklet provides an insight into the current perceptions about marine litter and plastic pollution in Ireland. The results presented here are based on an online survey conducted between March and May 2019 to 320 anonymous respondents living in Ireland. The survey is part of the research project Managing for Microplastics: A Baseline to Inform...

Plastic pollution is prevalent in all habitats and microplastic ingestion has been recorded in several different species examined to date. However, most studies have focused solely on commercial species. This study investigates microplastics (MPs) by assessing the levels present in a mixed demersal trawl at two sites in a coastal embayment. MPs wer...

Rivers play an important role in the overall transport of microplastic pollution (1 μm to 5 mm), with fluvial dynamics expected to influence biotic interactions, particularly for fish. So far, there have been few assessments of microplastics in freshwater salmonids. The prevalence (i.e. percentage occurrence) and burden (i.e. abundance per fish) of...

Microplastics are pervasive items in the environment and it has been suggested that subtidal sediments are a potential sink and hotspot areas for these pollutants. Due to logistic limitations, this environmental compartment is not routinely sampled, which is evident in the limited number of studies conducted in subtidal zones, compared to intertida...

Floating microplastic debris at the ocean's surface represents about 1% of all plastics found in the environment, with the remainder thought to be either deposited along the coast or sinks to the bottom of the ocean. This exploratory research on a coastal embayment in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean assesses floating microplastic densities and the pot...

Microplastic ingestion by intertidal fauna is a well-documented phenomenon, with emphasis on the physiological consequences of microplastic exposure. However, the behavioural effects of microplastic ingestion have not been explored to the same degree, even in species with documented microplastic ingestion. In this study, the predator-avoidance emer...

Microplastics are widespread pollutants in the marine environment, yet few studies have assessed the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in commercial species. This study evaluates the presence of ingested mi-croplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of Nephrops norvegicus (n = 150), collected from five Irish prawn grounds. The efficienc...

Microplastics (MPs) are an environmental pollutant of increasing concern. However, little research has assessed MP levels in intertidal gastropods. The authors explored MP abundance in the gastropod Littorina littorea from four sites within Galway Bay, West Ireland. To do this, 50 L. littorea were collected from four rocky shores of varying wave ex...

Microplastic pollution is presently considered a high concern topic by scientists, policy makers, governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations and the general public. Microplastics are highly widespread in all environmental compartments (e.g. air, water, sediments and biota) and increasing empirical evidence points towards potential negative...

Polymer science is one of the most revolutionary research areas of the last century, instigated by the discovery of Bakelite, the first synthetic plastic. Plastic, once a revolutionary material, has gradually become a global environmental threat with ubiquitous distribution. The term ‘microplastics’ coined in 2004, is used to describe the smaller p...

Preliminary findings on microplastics abundances in Galway Bay, Ireland

Marine anthropogenic litter, of which microplastics is part of, has long been recognised as an emerging pollutant of global concern with ubiquitous distribution and direct and indirect impacts on aquatic ecosystems, marine fauna and local economies. In order to contribute to the international debate on microplastics, we hereby propose a standardis...

Marine anthropogenic litter has long been recognised as an emerging pollutant of global concern. Its ubiquitous distribution and its direct and indirect impacts on aquatic ecosystems, marine fauna and local economies have been recently highlighted by several studies and international organisations around the world. Although comprised of different m...

Microplastic (MP) polymers, 0.1 µm - 5 mm in size, are ubiquitous within aquatic environments. Due to their small size there is a risk that they may infiltrate and transfer within aquatic food webs. Though a limited number of laboratory studies can facilitate our understanding of species susceptibility, the lack of field data from freshwater enviro...

The study of morphology is a common means of biological grouping and classification. In recent years, morphometric studies have been dominated by quantitative geometric-morphometric methods of data extraction such as outline or landmark-based analysis. These methods are often used in conjunction with various classification methods such as linear di...

Coastal defence structures are proliferating as a result of rising sea levels and stormier seas. With the realisation that most coastal infrastructure cannot be lost or removed, research is required into ways that coastal defence structures can be built to meet engineering requirements, whilst also providing relevant ecosystem services-ecological e...

Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) are receptors for the cumulative loading of microplastics (MPs) derived from industry, landfill, domestic waste water and storm water. The partitioning of MPs through the settlement processes of waste water treatment results in the majority becoming entrained in the sewage sludge. This study characterised MPs in...

In coastal habitats artificial structures typically support lower biodiversity and can support greater numbers of non-native and opportunistic species than natural rocky reefs. Eco-engineering experiments are typically trialed to succeed; but arguably as much is learnt from failure than from success. Our goal was to trial a generic, cost effective,...

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This publication comprises a synopsis of the results from the MarBEF project (2004-2008). The success of the project was made possible by the MarBEF partner institutes and associate members.

Background: Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems,...

The marine environment is often viewed as a vast expanse of clean habitats and ecosystems supporting a diverse range of marine life, from familiar charismatic animals to strange creatures from the deep. Research has revealed that today’s oceans face a number of challenges including the alarming rate of biodiversity loss. Human activity is increasin...

The education system in Europe is complex in that each country has its own organisation and operation, unique examinations and qualifications and associated terminology. Within individual countries, the curriculum can be specific to individual regions, which creates difficulties in characterising the education system even on a national level. In re...

Climate change presents a significant and imminent threat to our natural and built environments, to the ways of life which co-exist with these environments, and to our general wellbeing. In 2007, due to the growing concern over this issue, the Heritage Council and Fáilte Ireland jointly commissioned a review of the existing research on the potentia...

PESI brings together the three largest species databases in Europe - Fauna Europaea, European Register of Marine Species and Euro+Med PlantBase - together with European-based Global Species Databases (e.g. World Register of Marine Species) and their associated expert(ise) networks. It is a standardsbased, quality-controlled, expert-validated, open-...

Characteristics of the association of the marine copepod Gastrodelphys clausii with its fanworm host Bispira volutacornis were investigated from October 1997 to August 1999. Of the 982 hosts examined, 22.6% were infected, with male copepods outnumbering females. Prevalence varied between 3 and 90% during the study period and showed a seasonal patte...

Red algae of the order Bonnemaisoniales produce secondary metabolites that may be used as preservatives for industrial applications. Whereas species of Asparagopsis are cultured on a large scale for this purpose, no similar applications have been attempted for Bonnemaisonia species, despite evidence suggesting a similar potential for production of...

Early development of Bispira volutacornis is described up to the early trochophore stage using light and scanning electron microscopy. Gametes were obtained through both natural and induced spawning of the polychaetes. The spermatozoon is an ect aquasperm, primitive type, and c. 58.5 μm in total length. Mature oocytes, 118 μm in diameter, are encas...

The reproductive cycle of Bispira volutacornis, a dioecious polychaete, was followed over two spawning periods in Lettercallow Bay, on the west coast of Ireland. In the younger generation of sexually mature adults, gender can be determined on the basis of colour, the dorsal aspect of the males being cream at maturation, whilst the females are pink...

The detail of the characteristic double whorled branchial crown of the tubiculous polychaete Bispira volutacornis, with its internal skeleton of large vacuolated cells and ciliated radioles, is consistent with the feeding apparatus of sabellids at large. Studies show that ingested particulate matter has at least one dimension less than 15 mum. Feed...