Guest speaker: Dr. Chelsea M. Rochman from the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto.

Title: "The Impacts of Plastic Debris in Aquatic Ecosystems"

Abstract:

Plastic pollution is reported in freshwater and marine habitats globally. Hundreds of species, across multiple trophic levels, are contaminated with plastic and effects have been demonstrated across several levels of biological organization. Using recent insights, this presentation will discuss the sources, fate and impacts of plastic in aquatic ecosystems.

Biography:

Chelsea Rochman is a trained Ecologist with emphases in Marine Ecology, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Chemistry. She is interested in the side- effects of industrialization on the environment and its inhabitants. Her broader research interests regard the ecological effects of anthropogenic contaminants on wildlife and human resources (e.g. water, seafood). More specifically, her current focus is the implications of the infiltration of plastic debris into aquatic habitats. In addition to her academic research, Chelsea participates in policy meetings and working groups to translate scientific research beyond academia.