1. The role of particle-particle collisions and shear forces on microplastic fragmentation in freshwater systems
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Irene Andreu
Summary: Microplastics in rivers can break into even smaller pieces, but we don’t yet fully understand how this happens. This study will explore how water shear  and particle collisions cause microplastics to fragment and change shape. We will observe microplastics using optical microscopes to track how their sizes and shapes change over time. Further, we will study nanoplastic formation using electron microscopy and light scattering. We’ll also study how weathering — the breakdown of plastics by sunlight, water, and other environmental factors — affects the rate at which these fragments form and the properties of the resulting microplastics.

2. Beyond biodegradable: assessing bioplastics in real environmental conditions 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Vinka Craver
Summary: Bioplastics are often marketed as biodegradable, but their actual environmental behavior in the real world is far less understood. This project investigates how bioplastics degrade under realistic environmental conditions that deviate from ideal composting or controlled settings. Students will explore the physical and chemical processes that govern the breakdown, transport, and persistence of bioplastics across various systems, including soil, water, and waste management environments.

3. Assessing perceptions of microplastics among coastal communities in Rhode Island
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Emily Diamond
Summary: In order to meaningfully address microplastic pollution in Rhode Island, it is essential to first understand how local communities are thinking about this issue. Investigating public perceptions can create the foundation for the development of more relevant mitigation strategies and public outreach efforts that resonate with local attitudes and concerns. By conducting intercept surveys at various coastal access points across the state, this student will investigate patterns of plastic use and consumption, factors that motivate individuals to take personal action to address this issue, and the extent to which individuals are thinking about microplastics as a “here and now” problem. The results of this research will help to inform future science communication and community engagement efforts across the state.

4. AI-driven spectroscopy of microplastic aging 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Yang Lin
Summary: The project will continue our current work (and in summer 2025) on microplastic characterization using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The student will collect additional spectra to study how microplastics degrade over time under different environmental conditions (e.g., UV exposure, temperature, and salinity), helping to build a more comprehensive spectral database for degradation analysis.

5. Validating methods for assessing microplastic ingestion in Arctic zooplankton
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Brice Loose
Summary: The proposed project will apply the Rodrigues et al. (2023) method to assess microplastic ingestion in Arctic zooplankton collected during the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational Systems (NABOS) expedition in August–October 2025 aboard the USCGC Healy, as part of NSF EAGER Award #2532049. The REU student will focus on testing and validating this method on real environmental samples, a step that has not yet been done, before analyzing the isolated microplastic particles using Raman microscopy, to identify their polymer types. Over the 10-week program, the student will gain hands-on experience in sample preparation, method validation, microscopy, and data analysis, culminating in a final presentation of their findings. They will also contribute to manuscript preparation for a later publication.

6. Optical microscopy for microplastic detection and identification 
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Ryan Poling-Skutvik
Summary: There is a pressing need for a rapid method to detect microplastics in environmental samples and to determine their chemical identity. Students will run optical microscopy experiments to identify two distinct plastic chemistries based on their chemical properties, thereby addressing the critical need to distinguish microplastics from other environmental contaminants.

7. Investigating the effect of additives on the cytotoxicity of nanoplastics
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Daniel Roxbury
Summary: We will investigate the effect of plastic additives such as phthalates, plasticizers, UV stabilizers, antioxidants, and flame retardants on the observed toxicity of nanoplastics and microplastics within live mammalian cells. A variety of cytotoxicity assays will be examined.

8. Working towards understanding the baseline presence of microplastics in marine ecosystems
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Coleen Suckling
Summary: We are seeking a highly motivated student to join the Echinonerd Lab supporting hands-on research examining baseline level microplastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems. This project involves conducting field surveys using small vessels and shoreline sampling to collect water, sediment, and marine organisms. In the laboratory, the student will gain experience in microplastic analysis, including organism dissection, particle extraction and polymer identification within an ultra-clean workspace. The project also offers opportunities to engage in science communication, participate in stakeholder engagement, and collaborate with students and researchers across multiple state institutions.