The quantity of plastics and marine debris in the Kingston Harbour area and its effect on the natural environment is alarming. However marine organisms are often trapped, suffocated, ensnared and killed by plastic debris.
   

The plastic debris also damages young plants such as mangrove seedlings and hinder the restoration work that has been done along the Palisadoes roadway. The effects of such large amounts of plastic materials in the environment will also lead to declines in fish stocks as toxins leach from the plastics into the water. However, the threat is increased by the presence of micro-plastic debris which are ≤5 mm sized particles. These particles are produced in areas with large deposits of plastic waste as the sun and wave action act to fragment the large items. The micro-plastics are of the size that can be eaten by fish, oysters and plankton and so can cause greater contamination of fish stocks. The micro-plastic contamination has the potential to enter the food chain and eventually be eaten by man.
   

The quantities of micro-plastics in the mangrove waters of the Kingston harbor are being determined for the first time by Professor Mona Webber, Director of the Centre for Marine Sciences in collaboration with Ms. Deanna Rose a Research Scientist at International Centre for Environment and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS). Sampling commenced in February 2017 and preliminary results indicate that in some stations micro-plastics represent 25% of the total "plankton" and so could be encountered 25% of the time by fish, oysters and other filter feeders.
   

Sampling involves towing a plankton net which is modified to float at the surface. The project has benefitted from a loan of a Manta Trawl from 5Gyres Inc. which has allowed for the use of gear that is internationally applied to micro-plastic sampling.