Seasonal distribution of microplastics in an urban estuarine system, Perth, Western Australia

Urban estuaries are recognised as hotspots for microplastics, which are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that threaten ecological health. Despite these concerns, knowledge of microplastic contamination in Australian estuaries remains limited, and further research into environmental drivers is necessary. This thesis investigates contamination in an understudied urban estuary and determines that seasonality is a significant driver of microplastic abundance in surface water but not in intertidal sediments. Overall, I demonstrate the complexity of estuarine-based microplastic research and provide insights into the contamination of interconnected substrates, which can inform management strategies in urban catchments.