Blasting a Light on Urban Mangrove Pollution

Mangroves, coastal trees with dense roots that are periodically submerged by tides, are essential to the South Florida ecosystem and infrastructure. Their roots stabilize shorelines by trapping sediment, which includes environmental contaminants. Microplastics are frequently trapped between mangrove roots and can accumulate within mangroves through root uptake, interfering with metabolic processes and inhibiting root growth. This is especially prevalent in urban areas, like Miami. Microplastic absorption weakens mangrove structural integrity and reduces the effectiveness of mangrove roots as shoreline protection. Our research focuses on studying the relationship between microplastic intake and the strain on mangrove roots. Part of this project involves developing a method using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to determine the prevalence of microplastics in a sample. This method consists of refining sample-preparation techniques for both leaves and propagules, enabling identification of microplastic levels in mangrove leaves and propagules via root uptake. We plan to combine our microplastic composition research with strain measurements on mangroves to understand their structure in urban areas. Our findings may contribute to assessing the risk that microplastic pollution poses to mangrove structural function in protecting vulnerable coastlines.