{"id":6755,"date":"2026-05-14T13:22:33","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/?p=6755"},"modified":"2026-05-14T15:49:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T19:49:24","slug":"the-ripple-effect-of-research-funding-for-better-outcomes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/the-ripple-effect-of-research-funding-for-better-outcomes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ripple Effect of Research Funding for Better Outcomes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
By Shaun Kirby \u201807<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daniel Roxbury is used to developing sensors that help us explain complex environments, such as cancer cells in the body or chemical pollutants in seawater. Studying microplastics, however, presents a whole new challenge, one new initiative funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) aims to overcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really eye-opening to see how much we don\u2019t know about microplastics,\u201d says the associate professor of chemical, biomolecular, and materials engineering at the University of Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roxbury is the principal investigator of SIMCoast (Socio-ecological Impact of Microplastics in Coastal Ecosystems), a $7 million, four-year grant building Rhode Island\u2019s research capabilities to measure and study the impacts of nano- and microplastics (NMPs) throughout the Narragansett Bay watershed, an area spanning approximately 1,700 miles in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and home to nearly two million people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scientists consider any fragment no greater than 5mm in size as a microplastic, while nanoplastics are less than 1 micron, similar in size to a speck of dust. As plastic materials like water bottles and fishing gear enter the state\u2019s rivers and coastlines, they break down into what\u2019s called secondary plastics. They then move through water bodies in unknown ways and with varying shapes like microfibers, films and jagged particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SIMCoast, a grant awarded through NSF\u2019s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), is trying to better understand how, and to where, microplastics are moving throughout the watershed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s all different kinds of sizes and compositions of NMPs,\u201d Roxbury says. \u201cIt\u2019s a monumental technical challenge to be able to detect these plastics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project is split into three research themes with faculty from institutions across the state. One group is developing new methods for sampling microplastics in diverse water environments, including from the sediments of Narragansett Bay, areas of outwash from rivers, freshwater lakes and stormwater basins.<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cA large part of our economy relies on the bay and the ocean, and we wanted to pick a topic that critically affects it. We chose to study the socio-ecological impacts of microplastics within coastal ecosystems as the theme of our E-RISE project.\u201d<\/blockquote>Daniel Roxbury<\/cite><\/div><\/section>\n\n\n
Through this work, Roxbury and his team seek to establish standardized practices for studying micro and nanoplastics in Rhode Island and beyond. Current techniques to detect and image plastics at such small sizes are very limited, as well as being time-consuming and cost prohibitive. New methods from SIMCoast investigators work could provide better information to communities and policymakers about the potential impacts of these nearly invisible particles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re finding is that no approach is perfect,\u201d he says. \u201cHow much do you want to sample versus how accurate do you want to be? New techniques are coming down the pipeline, and we\u2019re seeing if they\u2019re suitable to our needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ways in which microplastics move through water bodies, in rivers and wastewater canals all the way to Narragansett Bay and out into the Atlantic Ocean, are complex and understudied. Scientists don\u2019t currently know, for example, where microplastics are more likely to accumulate in coastal habitats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A second group of investigators are developing computer models to bring these flow patterns to light, as well as forecast where hotspots for collected plastics may be occurring.<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cEven if we have all the proper sampling, we need to develop empirical models about how these microplastics are being transported,\u201d says Roxbury. \u201cWe\u2019re creating models that will predict how plastics are making it into the watershed and then all the way down to the bay and ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOne of the main goals here is to try to create that level of model that you can actually run time backwards to see where microplastics are originating from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Critical to understanding microplastics in the Narragansett Bay watershed is how the impact marine and terrestrial species. Which animals are ingesting microplastics and being harmed by them? Which species seem unfazed? How do microplastics travel through the food web to impact human health? SIMCoast is answering such questions by supporting researchers in multiple areas of study, from wildlife conservation to aquaculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But why conduct all this research and build Rhode Island into a go-to resource for studying microplastics? Who should know, and benefit from, this progress? SIMCoast has gathered a team to engage with local community members, state agencies, and industry to ensure that decision-makers are well-informed about how microplastics are impacting their cities and towns. This group will also develop inclusive approaches and programs to increase accessibility of SIMCoast research findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are saying that microplastics are bad, right?\u201d says Roxbury. \u2018But when you go to local communities and say something like that, they\u2019ll list 10 problems that are actually affecting their daily lives, and microplastics isn\u2019t on that list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to push this science onto them, but if we can understand their perspectives, we can hopefully relate this work to their daily lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roxbury has reflected often in the past year about what he\u2019s learned from colleagues all trying to tackle the problem of plastics at such fine scales and how humans are, and will be, impacted by them. He hopes that the SIMCoast team can advance our knowledge of these pollutants, one particle at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeing on this team of such diverse perspectives has been enlightening,\u201d he says. \u201cMy job is to facilitate synergies where I can, making sure all rudders are heading the same direction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SIMCOAST COLLABORATORS:<\/strong> Anabela Maia<\/em>, Co-Principal Investigator, Associate Professor of Biology, Rhode Island College Baylor Fox-Kemper<\/em>, Co-Principal Investigator, Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University Stephen O\u2019Shea<\/em>, Co-Principal Investigator, Professor of Chemistry, Roger Williams University Katherine Lacasse<\/em>, Co-Lead, Professor of Psychology, Rhode Island College Daniel Hewins<\/em>, Co-Lead, Professor of Biology, Rhode Island College Lillian Jeznach<\/em>, Associate Professor of Engineering, Roger Williams University Mara Freilich<\/em>, Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University Emanuele DiLorenzo<\/em>, Albert Davis Mead Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University Karianne Bergen<\/em>, Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and Data Science, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Brown University Carla Narvaez Diaz<\/em>, Assistant Professor of Biology, Rhode Island College<\/p>\n\n\n\n
URI @SIMCOAST:<\/strong> Daniel Roxbury<\/em>, Principal Investigator, Associate Professor of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Vinka Oyanedel-Craver<\/em>, Co-principal Investigator, Associate Dean of Research, Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering Andrew Davies<\/em>, Co-Lead, Professor of Biological Sciences Lewis Rothstein<\/em>, Co-Lead, Professor of Oceanography Coleen Suckling<\/em>, Co-Lead, Associate Professor of Aquaculture\/Fisheries Melva Trevi\u00f1o Pe\u00f1a<\/em>, Co-Lead, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Agriculture\/Food Systems Emily Diamond<\/em>, Co-Lead, Associate Professor, Director of Communication Graduate Studies Peter Rumsey<\/em>, Co-Lead, Chief Business Development Officer Geoffrey Bothun<\/em>, Chester H. Kirk Professor and Department Chair of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Materials Engineering Matthew Kiesewetter<\/em>, Professor, Department Chair of Chemistry J.P. Walsh<\/em>, Professor of Oceanography Sarah Davis<\/em>, Postdoctoral Fellow Animesh Pan<\/em>, Research Associate Ali Akanda<\/em>, Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Scott McWilliams<\/em>, Professor of Natural Resources Science Katrina Vickery<\/em>, Doctoral Student<\/p>\n\n\n\n
PARTNERS:<\/strong> The Narragansett Bay Commission 401 Tech Bridge Rhode Island Commerce RI Department of Environmental Management Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council<\/p>\n\n\n
\u201cBeing on this team of such diverse perspectives has been enlightening. My job is to facilitate synergies where I can, making sure all rudders are heading the same direction.\u201d<\/blockquote>Daniel Roxbury<\/cite><\/div><\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Shaun Kirby \u201807 Daniel Roxbury is used to developing sensors that help us explain complex environments, such as cancer cells in the body or chemical pollutants in seawater. Studying microplastics, however, presents a whole new challenge, one new initiative funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) aims to overcome. \u201cIt\u2019s been really eye-opening […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5436,"featured_media":6837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-momentum-spring-26-body"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5436"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6755"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6931,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6755\/revisions\/6931"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6837"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/momentum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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