Tony Pait

Cocos Island, Guam: Passive water sampling to inform restoration efforts

"What is the size and shape of a license plate and will monitor the waters of Cocos Island for the presence of chemical contaminants? In September, a team of scientists will deploy a series of passive water samplers known as PEDs, short for polyethylene devices, in the waters and sand adjacent to Cocos Island. A fish consumption advisory has been in place in Cocos Lagoon since 2006 because of elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). More recently, the pesticide DDT has been found in local fish caught adjacent to Cocos Island. The PEDs are small metal frames holding stretched polyethylene, a common plastic. Looking like a reinforced license plate frame, the devices will be placed in the sand or water around Cocos Island, where chemical contaminants like PCBs and DDT, if present, will accumulate on the plastic. After the PEDs are collected and analyzed, local resource managers will have better information on whether these chemicals are being transported in the water. This information will help inform future assessment and restoration efforts in the area of Cocos Island."

FY2018; CRCP Project ID: 31181; Project Title: Cocos Island Guam Passive Water Sampler Study; Principal Investigator: Tony Pait