BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 11, 2020
Researchers at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Boothbay examined how microplastics — pieces of plastic broken down into tiny particles — affect lobster larvae in the gulf. They found that lobster larvae, which float in the water column and typically are found in shallow water, get fibers caught under their shells and sometimes ingest particles. The issue of pollution in the Gulf of Maine, where millions of pounds of lobster fishing gear is deployed each year, has environmental and economic implications for Maine. The study did not examine where the plastic comes from, but it is believed to have many sources, including lost fishing gear such as plastic rope or plastic foam lobster buoys, wastewater treatment plants, or even transported by winds through the atmosphere.