Microplastics, synthetic plastic fragments less than 5 mm in diameter, are now pervasive in our water systems. And with increasing plastic production and waste, microplastics are a growing global threat to the health of our ocean and waterways. Microplastics can adsorb contaminants, and they enter the food web through direct ingestion by a range of aquatic organisms. However, microplastics research is still in its infancy, especially in terms of how these particles can impact organism function and physiology, and we still do not have a sufficient understanding of the magnitude of impact microplastics have on water ecosystems. We conduct a combination of laboratory and field studies to characterize microplastics and examine their ingestion by zooplankton in our local waterways including Hudson-Raritan estuary and Delaware Bay. By investigating the fate and transport of microplastics in the marine environment, we aim to apply our research to inform potential mitigation strategies.