Jennifer Davis
MS Student
Anne-Marie Hanson, Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Studies, University of Illinois Springfield
Cigarette waste and abandoned fishing gear are two of the most common types of plastic debris found in/near U.S. shorelines and waterways. Smoked cigarette butts and cigarette filters are acutely toxic to marine and freshwater fish; abandoned fishing lures and lines can entangle and injure several types of aquatic wildlife. This presentation will highlight research and outreach activities conducted from 2019-2021 around Lake Springfield as part of a larger study to evaluate and prevent cigarette litter and fishing-related debris in central Illinois waterways. We collected recycled fishing line and lures from 21 fishing sites on Lake Springfield and conducted monthly shoreline cigarette and marine litter surveys at the sites. The presentation will emphasize the preliminary results of our study, including the abundance and distribution of cigarette litter and derelict fishing lines/lures, and the effectiveness of fishing line recycling bins. The results detail the extent of the problem on Lake Springfield and highlight our collaborations with local agencies (CWLP) to prevent fishing gear and cigarette litter from polluting this popular semi-urban freshwater lake.