Funded by: Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute, Marine Fisheries Technology Station, Cox’s Bazar 4700, Bangladesh

Duration: 2018-2021

Project Description:

Research on microplastic pollution in the coastal-marine ecosystem and investigating its presence in fish and bivalve is noble research on Bangladesh context. So far none form Bangladesh has yet investigated microplastics in fishes and bivalves from the Bay of Bengal off Bangladesh coast. However, the PI of this proposed project has recently learned research protocols on marine microplastic pollution in the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as a part of his Fulbright Visiting Research Fellowship. Through this project, the experience and knowledge earned by the PI will obviously help translate into research strengthening of BFRI-MFTS at Cox’s Bazar in the thematic area of ‘monitoring of hydrobiological conditions of the near shore water and assessment of pollution loads of the Bay of Bengal’.
To enhance the scientific knowledge about microplastic pollution in the Bangladesh Coastal waters and consequent ingestion by different coastal-marine species the following objectives were established.

(i) Quantification and differentiation of the typologies of microplastics in the fish gastro-intestinal tract and bivalve species from coast-marine waters of the upper Bay of Bengal;
(ii) Comparisons of intra- & inter-species and location-specific ingestion of microplastics; and
(iii) Identification of accumulation and transfer patterns of selected microplastics in fish and bivalve species in vitro.

RESEARCH TEAM

Principal Investigator (PI): Professor Harunur Rashid, PhD, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Co-PI (1): Dr Kizar Ahmed Sumon, Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Co-PI (2): Mr Shanur Jahedul Hasan, SSO, Marine Fisheries & Technology Station, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute (BFRI), Cox’s Bazar

Research Associate: Mrs Kaniz Fatema, PhD Candidate, Department of Fisheries Management, BAU