Greg Merrill

Greg’s dissertation research is broadly focused on assessing the impacts of plastic pollution on the energy metabolism of blubber in marine mammals. Do microplastics translocate into organs around the bodies of whales after ingestion? And if so, what are the consequences? His work employs a variety of field and laboratory techniques to apply principles of ectoxicology to elicit impacts of microplastic exposure on marine mammals, namely utilizing biopsy explants and in vitro cell lines. Greg is also interested in  determining sensory explanations that drive plastic consumption, particularly for deep-diving echolocating toothed-whales that are
presumably not utilizing visual ques at depth to hunt.