POSTER Session 3

CHARACTERIZING THE INHERENT OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF MICROPLASTICS TOWARDS REMOTE SENSING MONITORING CAPABILITIES

The use of remote sensing technologies as a tool to track, identify, and quantify marine debris is an emerging area of research. Plastic production continues to increase globally and is a major contributor to marine debris. Once in the environment, plastic debris degrade into smaller pieces (microplastics) through weathering processes. Microplastics are now considered to be ubiquitous across the global ocean, creating a need for remote sensing approaches to assess their distribution and abundances. The main goal of this project is to develop an open-access hyperspectral library of the Inherent Optical Properties (IOPs) of microplastics as a first step towards their detection in the mixed layer. The backscattering ratio is a promising metric for detection of microplastics because it is more sensitive to particles of high refractive indices (such as plastics) and to small particle sizes (i.e. micro or nano-size ranges). Using a prototype known as the PhytoPlankton Light Scattering (PPLS) instrument, we are able to collect hyperspectral backscattering data from small volumes of water (65 mL) at multiple angles. Our preliminary data has confirmed the possibility of differentiating and identifying microplastics based on their hyperspectral backscattering spectra. Together with hyperspectral absorption data measured by an AC-s (SeaBird Scientific) instrument, we will collect IOP data of differing microplastic types, sizes, concentrations, and stages of weathering. Finally, radiative transfer numerical model simulations will be performed with HydroLight software (Sequoia) to constrain the detection thresholds of these microplastics under different environmental conditions.

*Ashley Ohall, University of Georgia, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, USA, [email protected], https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3168-5228

Sara Rivero-Calle, University of Georgia, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, USA, [email protected]

Alan Holmes, Cloudland Instruments, USA, [email protected]

Jay Brandes, University of Georgia, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, USA, [email protected]

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