Shaw Institute

Last updated
Shaw Institute
Formation1990
Founder Susan Shaw
PurposeEnvironmental research
Location
Website www.shawinstitute.org
Formerly called
Marine & Environmental Research Institute

The Shaw Institute, formerly the Marine & Environmental Research Institute, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research organization based in Blue Hill, Maine and New York City. The institute conducts research into ocean pollution, flame retardants, microplastics and plastic pollution, sentinel species and climate change. [1]

Contents

Background

The Shaw Institute was established as the Marine & Environmental Research Institute in 1990 by environmental health scientist, marine toxicologist, explorer, and author Susan Shaw. The institute was renamed in 2018 to accommodate the organization's global research profile with emphasis on improving human health and to reflect the 30-legacy of its founder, who is credited as the first scientist to show that brominated flame retardant chemicals used in consumer products have contaminated marine mammals and commercially important fish stocks in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. [2] [3]

Background

Founded in 1990 by Susan Shaw (as the Marine & Environmental Research Institute), the Shaw Institute was established to research and expose environmental health threats through innovative science and engage in strategic partnerships to improve human and ecological health. Shaw is globally recognized for pioneering high-impact environmental research on ocean pollution, climate change, oil spills, and plastics that has fueled public policy over three decades. In 1983, with landscape photographer Ansel Adams, she published Overexposure, the first book to document the health hazards of photographic chemicals. Shaw is credited as the first scientist to show that brominated flame retardant chemicals used in consumer products have contaminated marine mammals and commercially important fish stocks in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. She became the first scientist to dive into the Gulf of Mexico oil slick following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion to investigate the impacts of chemical dispersants used in response to the spill. [4] [5] [6] [7]

As of 2019, the institute conducts research into ocean pollution, plastics and microplastics, chemical health threats, and climate change in the Gulf of Maine and raises awareness of the toxic legacy of man-made chemicals on human health and marine environments. The institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific research organization funded primarily by grants and charitable contributions.

Milestones

In 1990, Shaw established the Marine & Environmental Research Institute (MERI) and began long-term marine sentinels research on contaminants and endocrine-disrupting effects in marine mammals that became the Institute's central focus over the next two decades. [8] In 2000, the Institute hosted its first international conference: The Atlantic Coast Contaminant Workshop ACCW 2000, Endocrine Disruptors in the Marine Environment: Impacts on Marine Wildlife and Human Health, uniting international wildlife and human health scientists. [9] [10] Shortly thereafter, the Institute launched a coastal monitoring program, a lecture series, and education programs.

In 2000, Shaw Institute began long-term research focused on marine sentinel species to characterize the extent of contamination of the northwest Atlantic marine ecosystem from Maine to New York, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). [11] This work has shown that levels of toxic chemicals, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), in northwest Atlantic harbor seals are among the highest in the world. [12] [13]

In 2002, the Institute convened the Gulf of Maine Forum: Protecting Our Coastal and Offshore Waters in Blue Hill in conjunction with the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, representing New England states and Canadian provinces. [14] A year later, the Shaw Institute begins its student internships program for scientific research and monitoring. In 2004, the Ocean Environment Lecture Series is launched, attracting international experts in a variety of fields. That same year, the long-term Blue Hill Bay Monitoring Project, the first bay-wide health assessment of its kind, is established to produce a ten-year baseline dataset on conditions and issues of concern. In 2014, the project expands geographically to include Penobscot Bay and targets research on microplastics, invasive species, and seafood contamination.

In 2012, the Institute pioneered microplastics research in Blue Hill Bay, Maine. [15] Alarming findings about the presence of microplastics in coastal waters prompted concern for human health (via seafood consumption).

In 2013, Shaw was lead investigator of a study that tested a group of firefighters in San Francisco [16] and found that their blood contains high levels of flame retardants and cancer-causing chemicals such as dioxins and furans, produced by the burning of flame-retarded household materials. [17] [18] Based on these findings, in 2014, the Institute announced plans for a long-term study of chemical exposure and cancer risk in U.S. firefighters named the National Fire Fighter Cancer Biomarker Study, funded in part by IAFF and IAB.

Starting in 2017, the Institute began a multi-year project and partnership with researchers from Sweden, Greenland and Iceland to assess the converging impacts of climate change and flame retardant chemicals on marine mammals from the US Atlantic, Baltic, and Arctic seas.

Plastics Research

In 2012, Shaw Institute conducted the first microplastics study of its kind in the Gulf of Maine. Using new collection methods, they detected an average of 17 microplastic fragments per liter in local seawater samples. These high results prompted the institute to monitor input sites including stream and river mouths around Blue Hill Bay.

In 2014, the Institute developed a study to measure microplastics in Maine seafood, which identified surprisingly large numbers of microplastic fragments in oysters and mussels. Shaw Institute also conducted analysis of microplastics in tissues of mussels, fish, and marine mammals. [19] These numbers prompted questions about bioaccumulation in human consumers. In 2014, Shaw Institute testified in support of legislation to ban the use of plastic microbeads in personal care products, which passed unanimously. [20]

In 2018, in partnership with Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, Shaw Institute scientists lead a 2018 study on the uptake and expulsion of microplastic fibers by blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in the Gulf of Maine. [21] In 2019, the Shaw Institute partnered with the international Plastics Health Coalition in order to advance understanding of the damaging effects of microplastics in the human body and to promote plastic reduction on a global scale.

Related Research Articles

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs, are a class of organobromine compounds that are used as flame retardants. Like other brominated flame retardants, PBDEs have been used in a wide array of products, including building materials, electronics, furnishings, motor vehicles, airplanes, plastics, polyurethane foams, and textiles. They are structurally akin to polychlorinated diphenyl ethers (PCDEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other polyhalogenated compounds, consisting of two halogenated aromatic rings. PBDEs are classified according to the average number of bromine atoms in the molecule. The life-saving benefits of fire retardants led to their popularization. Standards for mass transit vehicles continues to increase as of 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persistent organic pollutant</span> Organic compounds that are resistant to environmental degradation

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are organic compounds that are resistant to degradation through chemical, biological, and photolytic processes. They are toxic and adversely affect human health and the environment around the world. Because they can be transported by wind and water, most POPs generated in one country can and do affect people and wildlife far from where they are used and released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine debris</span> Human-created solid waste in the sea or ocean

Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created solid material that has deliberately or accidentally been released in seas or the ocean. Floating oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and on coastlines, frequently washing aground, when it is known as beach litter or tidewrack. Deliberate disposal of wastes at sea is called ocean dumping. Naturally occurring debris, such as driftwood and drift seeds, are also present. With the increasing use of plastic, human influence has become an issue as many types of (petrochemical) plastics do not biodegrade quickly, as would natural or organic materials. The largest single type of plastic pollution (~10%) and majority of large plastic in the oceans is discarded and lost nets from the fishing industry. Waterborne plastic poses a serious threat to fish, seabirds, marine reptiles, and marine mammals, as well as to boats and coasts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine pollution</span> Pollution of oceans from substances discarded by humans

Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial, agricultural and residential waste, particles, noise, excess carbon dioxide or invasive organisms enter the ocean and cause harmful effects there. The majority of this waste (80%) comes from land-based activity, although marine transportation significantly contributes as well. It is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide. Since most inputs come from land, either via the rivers, sewage or the atmosphere, it means that continental shelves are more vulnerable to pollution. Air pollution is also a contributing factor by carrying off iron, carbonic acid, nitrogen, silicon, sulfur, pesticides or dust particles into the ocean. The pollution often comes from nonpoint sources such as agricultural runoff, wind-blown debris, and dust. These nonpoint sources are largely due to runoff that enters the ocean through rivers, but wind-blown debris and dust can also play a role, as these pollutants can settle into waterways and oceans. Pathways of pollution include direct discharge, land runoff, ship pollution, bilge pollution, atmospheric pollution and, potentially, deep sea mining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Pacific Gyre</span> Major circulating system of ocean currents

The North Pacific Gyre (NPG) or North Pacific Subtropical Gyre (NPSG), located in the northern Pacific Ocean, is one of the five major oceanic gyres. This gyre covers most of the northern Pacific Ocean. It is the largest ecosystem on Earth, located between the equator and 50° N latitude, and comprising 20 million square kilometers. The gyre has a clockwise circular pattern and is formed by four prevailing ocean currents: the North Pacific Current to the north, the California Current to the east, the North Equatorial Current to the south, and the Kuroshio Current to the west. It is the site of an unusually intense collection of human-created marine debris, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic pellet pollution</span> Marine debris from plastic manufacturing particles

Plastic pellet pollution is a type of marine debris originating from the plastic particles that are universally used to manufacture large-scale plastics. In the context of plastic pollution, these pre-production plastic pellets are commonly known as 'nurdles'. These microplastics are created separately from the user plastics they are melted down to form, and pellet loss can occur during both the manufacturing and transport stages. When released into the open environment, they create persistent pollution both in the oceans and on beaches. About 230,000 tonnes of nurdles are thought to be deposited in the oceans each year, where they are often mistaken for food by seabirds, fish and other wildlife. Due to their small size, they are notoriously difficult to clear up from beaches and elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garbage patch</span> Gyre of marine debris

A garbage patch is a gyre of marine debris particles caused by the effects of ocean currents and increasing plastic pollution by human populations. These human-caused collections of plastic and other debris are responsible for ecosystem and environmental problems that affect marine life, contaminate oceans with toxic chemicals, and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Once waterborne, marine debris becomes mobile. Flotsam can be blown by the wind, or follow the flow of ocean currents, often ending up in the middle of oceanic gyres where currents are weakest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine plastic pollution</span> Environmental pollution by plastics

Marine plastic pollution is a type of marine pollution by plastics, ranging in size from large original material such as bottles and bags, down to microplastics formed from the fragmentation of plastic material. Marine debris is mainly discarded human rubbish which floats on, or is suspended in the ocean. Eighty percent of marine debris is plastic. Microplastics and nanoplastics result from the breakdown or photodegradation of plastic waste in surface waters, rivers or oceans. Recently, scientists have uncovered nanoplastics in heavy snow, more specifically about 3,000 tons that cover Switzerland yearly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health and environmental impact of the petroleum industry</span>

The environmental impact of the petroleum industry is extensive and expansive due to petroleum having many uses. Crude oil and natural gas are primary energy and raw material sources that enable numerous aspects of modern daily life and the world economy. Their supply has grown quickly over the last 150 years to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing human population, creativity, knowledge, and consumerism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Atlantic garbage patch</span> Large floating field of debris in the North Atlantic Ocean

The North Atlantic garbage patch is a garbage patch of man-made marine debris found floating within the North Atlantic Gyre, originally documented in 1972. A 22-year research study conducted by the Sea Education Association estimates the patch to be hundreds of kilometers across, with a density of more than 200,000 pieces of debris per square kilometer. The garbage originates from human-created waste traveling from rivers into the ocean and mainly consists of microplastics. The garbage patch is a large risk to wildlife through plastic consumption and entanglement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microplastics</span> Extremely small fragments of plastic

Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm (0.20 in) in length, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the European Chemicals Agency. They cause pollution by entering natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, food packaging, and industrial processes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Ocean garbage patch</span> Gyre of marine litter in the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean garbage patch, discovered in 2010, is a marine garbage patch, a gyre of marine litter, suspended in the upper water column of the central Indian Ocean, specifically the Indian Ocean Gyre, one of the five major oceanic gyres. The patch does not appear as a continuous debris field. As with other patches in each of the five oceanic gyres, the plastics in it break down to ever smaller particles, and to constituent polymers. As with the other patches, the field constitutes an elevated level of pelagic plastics, chemical sludge, and other debris; primarily particles that are invisible to the naked eye. The concentration of particle debris has been estimated to be approximately 10,000 particles per square kilometer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic pollution</span> Accumulation of plastic in natural ecosystems

Plastic pollution is the accumulation of plastic objects and particles in the Earth's environment that adversely affects humans, wildlife and their habitat. Plastics that act as pollutants are categorized by size into micro-, meso-, or macro debris. Plastics are inexpensive and durable, making them very adaptable for different uses; as a result, manufacturers choose to use plastic over other materials. However, the chemical structure of most plastics renders them resistant to many natural processes of degradation and as a result they are slow to degrade. Together, these two factors allow large volumes of plastic to enter the environment as mismanaged waste which persists in the ecosystem and travels throughout food webs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Shaw (conservationist)</span> American scientist, explorer, conservationist, author (1943–2022)

Susan D. Shaw was an American environmental health scientist, marine toxicologist, explorer, ocean conservationist, and author. A Doctor of Public Health, she was a professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at the School of Public Health at the State University of New York at Albany, and Founder/President of the Shaw Institute, a nonprofit scientific institution with a mission to improve human and ecological health through innovative science and strategic partnerships. Shaw is globally recognized for pioneering high-impact environmental research on ocean pollution, climate change, oil spills, and plastics that has fueled public policy over three decades. In 1983, with landscape photographer Ansel Adams, she published Overexposure, the first book to document the health hazards of photographic chemicals. Shaw is credited as the first scientist to show that brominated flame retardant chemicals used in consumer products have contaminated marine mammals and commercially important fish stocks in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. She became the first scientist to dive into the Gulf of Mexico oil slick following the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion to investigate the impacts of chemical dispersants used in response to the spill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastisphere</span> Plastic debris suspended in water and organisms which live in it

The plastisphere is a human-made ecosystem consisting of organisms able to live on plastic waste. Plastic marine debris, most notably microplastics, accumulates in aquatic environments and serves as a habitat for various types of microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi. As of 2022, an estimated 51 trillion microplastics are floating in the surface water of the world's oceans. A single 5mm piece of plastic can host 1,000s of different microbial species. Some marine bacteria can break down plastic polymers and use the carbon as a source of energy.

Abigail P. W. Barrows is an American marine research scientist and advocate based in Maine. Barrows directs microplastics research that is used to inform conservation-focused legislation, and she initiated the first baseline data map of microplastic pollution distribution in the waters off the coast of Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach cleaning</span> Coastline care

Beach cleaning or clean-up is the process of removing solid litter, dense chemicals, and organic debris deposited on a beach or coastline by the tide, local visitors, or tourists. Humans pollute beaches with materials such as plastic bottles and bags, plastic straws, fishing gear, cigarette filters, six-pack rings, surgical masks and many other items that often lead to environmental degradation. Every year hundreds of thousands of volunteers comb beaches and coastlines around the world to clean this debris. These materials are also called "marine debris" or "marine pollution" and their quantity has been increasing due to anthropocentric activities.

Ailsa Jane Hall is a British researcher who is Director of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews. Her research considers the impact of contaminants on the risk of mortality in marine mammals.

Edem Mahu is a Ghanaian marine scientist who is a senior lecturer at the University of Ghana. Her research considers ocean health, oyster fisheries and climate change. She was awarded the 2022 American Geophysical Union Africa Award for Research Excellence in Ocean Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microplastics effects on human health</span> How plastic particles affect human health

Microplastics effects on human health are a subject of growing concern and an area of research. The tiny particles known as microplastics (MPs), have been found in various environmental and biological matrices, including air, water, food, and human tissues. Microplastics, defined as plastic fragments smaller than 5 mm, and even smaller particles such as nanoplastics (NP), particles smaller than 1000 nm in diameter, have raised concerns impacting human health. In scientific literature, combined microplastics and nanoplastics are referred to as MNPs or NMPs or NMPPs for nano-and microplastic particles.

References

  1. "Shaw Institute | 30 years of Environmental Impact Research". www.shawinstitute.org. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  2. Shaw, Susan. "Susan Shaw | Speaker | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  3. Shaw, Susan D.; Berger, Michelle L.; Brenner, Diane; Kannan, Kurunthachalam; Lohmann, Nina; Päpke, Olaf (2009-05-01). "Bioaccumulation of polybrominated diphenyl ethers and hexabromocyclododecane in the northwest Atlantic marine food web". Science of the Total Environment. 407 (10): 3323–3329. Bibcode:2009ScTEn.407.3323S. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.02.018. ISSN   0048-9697. PMID   19269019.
  4. Wells, PG (1984), "The Toxicity of Oil Spill Dispersants to Marine Organisms: A Current Perspective", Oil Spill Chemical Dispersants: Research, Experience, and Recommendations, ASTM International, pp. 177–177–26, doi:10.1520/stp30237s, ISBN   9780803104006
  5. WILSON, ELIZABETH (2010-08-09). "Dispersants' Effects Debated". Chemical & Engineering News. 88 (32): 5. doi:10.1021/cen080510133052. ISSN   0009-2347.
  6. Shaw, Joyce M. (2010-01-01). "History of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory". Gulf of Mexico Science. 28 (1). doi: 10.18785/goms.2801.13 . ISSN   1087-688X.
  7. Mccarthy, Lillah (1990), "Swimming: III", Shaw, Palgrave Macmillan UK, p. 198, doi: 10.1007/978-1-349-05402-2_109 , ISBN   9781349054046
  8. Larsson, D.G.J.; Hällman, H.; Förlin, L. (July 2000). "Skewed embryonic sex ratios in a viviparous fish: a result of endocrine disruption?". Marine Environmental Research. 50 (1–5): 191–192. Bibcode:2000MarER..50..191L. doi:10.1016/s0141-1136(00)00172-0. ISSN   0141-1136.
  9. Partnership., Casco Bay Estuary (2007). Toxic pollution in Casco Bay : sources and impacts. Casco Bay Estuary Partnership. ISBN   978-0939561360. OCLC   132687763.
  10. "Marine mammals at threat from PCBs". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 20 (11): 539–540. November 1989. Bibcode:1989MarPB..20..539.. doi:10.1016/0025-326x(89)90339-1. ISSN   0025-326X.
  11. Shaw, Susan D.; Brenner, Diane; Bourakovsky, Anna; Mahaffey, Christie A.; Perkins, Christopher R. (October 2005). "Polychlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated pesticides in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) from the northwestern Atlantic coast". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 50 (10): 1069–1084. Bibcode:2005MarPB..50.1069S. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.04.010. ISSN   0025-326X. PMID   15907943.
  12. "The Bangor Fire", Songs and Ballads of the Maine Lumberjacks with Other Songs from Maine, Harvard University Press, 1924, pp. 176–179, doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674282360.c51, ISBN   9780674282360
  13. Shaw, Susan D.; Brenner, Diane; Bourakovsky, Anna; Mahaffey, Christie A.; Perkins, Christopher R. (October 2005). "Polychlorinated biphenyls and chlorinated pesticides in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina concolor) from the northwestern Atlantic coast". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 50 (10): 1069–1084. Bibcode:2005MarPB..50.1069S. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2005.04.010. ISSN   0025-326X. PMID   15907943.
  14. Fairchild, Elizabeth A. (January 2017). "Indications of Offshore Spawning by Southern Gulf of Maine Winter Flounder". Marine and Coastal Fisheries. 9 (1): 493–503. doi: 10.1080/19425120.2017.1365786 . ISSN   1942-5120.
  15. "Sources of macro and microplastics", Marine Plastic Debris and Microplastics, United Nations, 2016-05-11, pp. 35–64, doi:10.18356/f4eb59e6-en, ISBN   9789210601603
  16. Shaw, Susan D.; Berger, Michelle L.; Harris, Jennifer H.; Yun, Se Hun; Wu, Qian; Liao, Chunyang; Blum, Arlene; Stefani, Anthony; Kannan, Kurunthachalam (June 2013). "Persistent organic pollutants including polychlorinated and polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans in firefighters from Northern California". Chemosphere. 91 (10): 1386–1394. Bibcode:2013Chmsp..91.1386S. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2012.12.070. ISSN   0045-6535. PMID   23395527.
  17. Shaw, Susan (January 2010). "Halogenated Flame Retardants: Do the Fire Safety Benefits Justify the Risks?". Reviews on Environmental Health. 25 (4): 261–305. doi:10.1515/reveh.2010.25.4.261. ISSN   2191-0308. PMID   21268442. S2CID   20573319.
  18. "Dr. Marshall Hall on Puerperal Diseases". The Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. 19 (27): 421–424. 1839-02-06. doi:10.1056/nejm183902060192701. ISSN   0096-6762.
  19. "Microplastics found in Gulf of Maine". WGME.com. 23 November 2018.
  20. "SP0033, LD 85, item 1, An Act To Prohibit Synthetic Plastic Microbeads in Personal Care Products and Over-the-counter Drugs". www.mainelegislature.org. Retrieved 2019-01-25.
  21. Renzi, Monia; Guerranti, Cristiana; Blašković, Andrea (June 2018). "Microplastic contents from maricultured and natural mussels". Marine Pollution Bulletin. 131 (Pt A): 248–251. Bibcode:2018MarPB.131..248R. doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.04.035. hdl: 11368/2963220 . ISSN   0025-326X. PMID   29886944. S2CID   47009030.