I am currently conducting independent research on the prevalence, distribution, and composition of microplastics in cold-water corals in the Gulf of Mexico. This project attempts to better understand the dynamics of plastic pollution in the Gulf and the implications of anthropogenic activities on marine organisms. The ingestion and accumulation of microplastics by organisms poses negative implications for organism health and biodiversity, and corals and deep-sea environments have both been proposed as sinks for microplastic debris.