Thursday 22 May 2025, 10:30AM (SAST)
Zoom Registration Link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/_nFt7FePS02nYOe4iekeYA
Passcode: 012307
by Cornel-Mari du Preez
NYS Research Intern, NRF-SAIAB
Microplastics Associated with Shoreline Marine Organisms at Nature’s Valley in South Africa
Join Cornel-Mari du Preez – NYS intern at NRF-SAIAB – for a powerful talk titled “Microplastics Associated with Shoreline Marine Organisms at Nature’s Valley in South Africa.”
In this talk, Cornel-Mari shares insights from her MSc research, where she investigated how microplastics move through shoreline food webs—highlighting their potential impact on marine life and food security.
Cornel-Mari du Preez, an NYS intern based at the NRF- SAIAB, recently completed her MSc in Environmental Science from North West University, focusing on the movement of microplastics (MPs) through marine food webs. Her research at Nature’s Valley, South Africa, involved sampling seawater, sand, seaweed, and invertebrates to investigate how microplastics—classified by shape, size, colour, and polymer type—transfer between trophic levels. Microplastics were found across all levels of the food chain, with fibres being most common. Blue and multi-coloured microplastics were more likely to transfer between species, although the chemical composition of plastics did not follow the same trend. One plastic, polyurethane , stood out for its high toxicity risk. This talk explores the hidden journey of microplastics in shoreline ecosystems and what it could mean for marine life and food security.
