ID: 2211
Presenting Author: Juliane Baquiran
Session: 526 - The Truth Tangle: Untying Misinformation in Impact Assessment
Status: pending
This presentation explores how uncertainty about plastic degradation, chemical leaching, and ecological impact influence public perception, offshore decommissioning, and decision making.
Increased scrutiny of offshore decommissioning has amplified debate over the fate of polymer-based subsea infrastructure. Plastic-based flowlines, polymer coatings, and epoxy resins enhance durability but raise complex questions regarding ecological impacts. While these materials offer resilience in ocean environments, they have potential to leach chemical additives and degrade into microplastics, interacting with marine organisms in poorly understood ways. Despite decades of research, the persistence and behavior of synthetic polymers in deep ocean environments remain only partially understood. This scientific uncertainty, often simplified or misrepresented in public discourse, can erode confidence in impact assessments and hinder transparent decision-making.
This presentation examines the evolution of plastic science and its relevance, tracing key milestones from early polymer development, through the discovery of marine microplastics, to contemporary research on additive leachability and biotic interactions. By synthesizing decades of research, we demonstrate how public perceptions are shaped not only by scientific facts but also by emotions, ideologies, and the uncertainties inherent in complex environmental data.
Finally, we highlight case studies, current research, and interdisciplinary collaboration to clarify a field often clouded by mistrust, emphasizing the need for transparency, effective science communication, and credible marine conservation research.
Juliane Baquiran is an environmental consultant specializing in microplastics, decommissioning, and impact assessment, focusing on science communication and marine conservation.
Coauthor 1: Paul Krause