Yuki Li, FCLC 2025

MAJOR: Natural Sciences

BIO: Yuki Li, a junior at FCLC, is majoring in Natural Sciences. Born and raised in New York City, her academic interests are focused on environmental conservation. Yuki is particularly drawn to understanding our oceans' intricate ecosystems and human activity's impacts on marine life. Currently, she is exploring research opportunities related to her passion for marine conservation.

PROJECT TITLE: Microplastic in Horseshoe Crab Digestive System

MENTOR: Mark Botton, Department of Natural Sciences

ABSTRACT: The presence of microplastics in marine environments has emerged as a critical concern due to their potentially harmful impacts on marine organisms. This study investigates the occurrence of microplastics in the gut contents of the horseshoe crab population (Limulus polyphemus) found in Jamaica Bay, New York. Sampling efforts focused on both adult and juvenile horseshoe crabs. Adult horseshoe crabs’ digestive systems and juvenile horseshoe crabs’ fecal matter were first treated with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution to remove organic materials and then stained with Nile Red to identify microplastics using fluorescence microscopy. ImageJ was used to count and measure the microplastics found in each sample. Microplastic particles were observed in all samples and ranged in size from approximately 0.21–497μm. A higher concentration of microplastics was observed in juvenile horseshoe crab samples. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of microplastic contamination in estuarine environments.