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Microplastics in bottlenose dolphins and two key prey fish from Sarasota Bay, FL
Summary
Researchers found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in wild dolphins living in Sarasota Bay, Florida, as well as in the fish they eat — suggesting plastic pollution is moving up the food chain in coastal waters. Since dolphins eat seafood much like we do, and share a similar environment with fish caught for human consumption, this raises questions about whether we're also ingesting microplastics through our own seafood. More research is needed to know exactly what health effects this might have, but the findings are a reminder that plastic waste in our oceans doesn't just disappear — it ends up inside the animals (and potentially the food
This dataset includes suspected microplastic counts and characteristics from identified in samples from bottlenose dolphins (23 gastric fluid, 15 fecal) and two key prey fish species (pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides, n=35; Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta, n=30). Sample collection occurred between 2022 and 2024 in Sarasota Bay, FL, USA. Analyses of prey fish tissues included muscle and gastrointestinal tracts. All samples were digested using 10% KOH solution (24-72 hours) and filtered prior to particle identification via stereo microscopy and hot needle testing. Contents of the datafile include counts of total particles, counts of different particle shapes (i.e., fibers, films, fragments), and counts of particle shape by color. All data in this file have been blank-corrected to adjust for ambient contamination using a combination of field, laboratory, and procedural blanks.