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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA <br /> VAR <br /> BERKELEY DAVIS IRVINE LOS ANGELES MERCED RIVERSIDE SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO 1.-N.0, 1e SANTA BARBARA SANTA CRUZ <br /> .4111 <br /> DOUGLAS J.MCCAULEY <br /> ASSISTANT PROFESSOR <br /> DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY,EVOLUTION,AND MARINE BIOLOGY <br /> 7 March 2017 <br /> Dear Council Members, <br /> Thank you for your willingness to review my testimony. I am a Professor of Marine Biology at UC Santa <br /> Barbara. I have been studying ocean ecosystems for over 15 years, largely in the Pacific, including in <br /> areas around Hawaii. I am writing in strong support of Bill 13,the bill to ban polystyrene food <br /> containers in Hawai'i County. Plastic pollution, including EPS, is entering the oceans at an alarming rate <br /> and affecting ocean health. I have had the unfortunate ability to observe this occur in the sites where I <br /> conduct my research. I draw your attention to three important points regarding the negative impacts of <br /> EPS and plastic pollution in Hawaii's water: <br /> • Plastic is known to negatively impact some of Hawaii's most charismatic, economically valuable, <br /> and ecologically important marine animals: sea turtle, manta rays, seabird, and fish. Scientists <br /> project that EPS and other plastics will be found in 99% of seabirds by 2050 (Proceedings from <br /> the National Academy of Sciences 2015). <br /> • Ocean species are harmed by ingested plastic pollution causing mechanical blockages [e.g., <br /> gastrointestinal obstruction in seabirds] and chemical poisoning. Deleterious chemical effects are <br /> caused because fragments of this pollution can contain contaminants added during plastic <br /> manufacture or acquired from seawater through absorption processes. <br /> • Research is continuing to highlight plastic pollution entering into marine food chains and human <br /> seafood systems. This includes both the EPS/plastic fragments themselves and the chemical <br /> toxins they have absorbed. This affects a range of species including a number of iconic seafood <br /> species in Hawai'i, such as mahi-mahi. <br /> Thank you for taking this positive step forward not only for the present-day ocean and human health, but <br /> for future generations. I am pleased that your council is cognizant and reactive to the important linkages <br /> between human health and ocean health. <br /> Regards, <br /> # 3 <br /> 441 . <br /> Dr. Douglas McCauley <br />