Rehoboth Beach, Del. — Local residents can join a virtual scientific meeting this Friday to discover the latest research on tiny plastic particles and water quality assessments in Delaware’s Inland Bays.
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays has scheduled a public Scientific & Technical Advisory Committee session running from 9 a.m. until noon on July 30. These gatherings offer community members a chance to explore environmental concerns affecting the region and pose questions about current scientific studies.
The advisory committee delivers unbiased, research-based recommendations to the Center’s governing board and partner organizations involved with the Inland Bays ecosystem.
Two key presentations will anchor the session. David Wolanski from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, along with Bill Richardson from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will explain Delaware’s water quality data collection methods and reporting systems. They’ll detail how this information shapes management choices and regulatory decisions across state and federal levels. Delaware submits water quality assessments to the EPA every two years, which then guide water management initiatives.
“It’s very important that data used by the State to guide important management decisions accurately reflects the water quality conditions in the Bays and their tributaries,” said Dr. Walch. “At this meeting, we’ll be discussing how Center scientists and STAC members can best support DNREC with improved monitoring programs.”
University of Delaware Associate Professor Dr. Jonathan Cohen will team up with laboratory technician Taylor Hoffman to reveal results from a five-year investigation into microplastics throughout Delaware Bay, tidal waterways, and the Inland Bays. Their presentation will explore where these microscopic contaminants end up and how they travel through regional water systems.
“Delaware is proving to be an important case study for microplastics research in coastal environments,” Dr. Cohen said. “We have a mixture of rural and urban land use, which is helping to isolate pathways of debris into waterways. Once in the water, many questions remain as to how microplastics are transported through coastal systems and ultimately to the ocean, and how biota are affected. Work in Delaware is helping to resolve these.”
EPA Region 3 scientist Kelly Somers will round out the program by examining microplastics contamination and its possible effects on human health and environmental systems. Research conducted in the Chesapeake Bay is helping scientists create “ecological risk assessments” to evaluate microplastics impacts. These evaluations aim to establish uniform classification methods and documentation standards while building science-based solutions.
Community members and journalists can access the Zoom session at https://udel.zoom.us/j/98410695414 using the passcode “science.” Phone participants can dial 646-876-9923 and enter meeting ID “984 1069 5414.”
The meeting agenda and information about previous sessions are available at inlandbays.org/stac.
Founded in 1994, the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays operates as a nonprofit organization and represents one of 28 National Estuary Programs nationwide. The Center collaborates with numerous partners to preserve, protect and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays and surrounding watershed. Additional details can be found at inlandbays.org.
