Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Fall 11-16-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

December 2025

Department

Geosciences

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Erik Johanson

Abstract

Plastic pollution has become an imminent threat to the environment and human health. This study explores the occurrence, distribution, and retention mechanisms of microplastics (MPs) in Spruce Bluff Preserve, a 97-acre freshwater wetland ecosystem located along the eastern bank of the St. Lucie River in Port St. Lucie, FL. Understanding MP dynamics in transitional freshwater ecosystem is crucial for environmental management efforts given Florida’s heavily fragmented and managed landscape. This research specifically examined the relationship between wetland vegetation and MP retention in sediments across different ecological zones within the preserve. Surface sediment samples were collected along 8 transects of varying lengths (15-25 m) established across different wetland zones, with sampling points at 5 m intervals. Polymers were identified and classified based on shape, size, and color under the microscope following oxidative digestion, density separation, and vacuum filtration. Loss on Ignition (LOI) analysis was conducted to determine organic content in the sediment to assess the correlation of key sediment MPs abundance. The study evaluated the spatial distribution and density patterns of MPs across the wetland zones and investigated the influence of vegetation density, plant structure, and species composition through filed botany observations.

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