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Microplastics in Bearded Seal Tissues Harvested in the Early 2000s and Recent Years
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Researchers measured microplastics in muscle tissue from bearded seals harvested in Alaska in the early 2000s and in 2021–2023. All tissues contained microplastics, with muscle showing the highest concentrations, and levels remained stable across the two time periods, indicating persistent long-term contamination in Arctic marine mammals.
Mentor: Dr. Lara Horstmann; Plastic pollution, especially microplastics (MP), contaminates marine environments, including the Arctic. This study examined MP in tissues of bearded seals from Alaska. All tissues contained MP, with muscle showing the highest concentration. MP levels were stable between 2010-2011 and 2021-2023, indicating persistent exposure over time.
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Microplastics in spotted seal stomachs from the Bering and Chukchi seas in 2012 and 2020
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Researchers examined stomachs of spotted seals harvested by Alaska Native communities in the Bering and Chukchi seas and found microplastics in animals from both 2012 and 2020. The contamination was present across different age groups and locations, confirming that microplastics have reached even Arctic marine mammals high on the food chain. This is relevant to human health because these seals are an important subsistence food source for Indigenous communities in the region.
Evidence of microplastic ingestion in ringed seals (Pusa hispida) from the Canadian Arctic.
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Researchers examined the stomachs of 30 ringed seals from Arviat and Resolute Bay, Nunavut, finding microplastics in 77% of them. Most particles were tiny fragments or fibers, with no clear link to the seals' sex, age, or size, providing baseline data for future pollution monitoring in the Arctic.
Microplastics in subsistence harvested bowhead whale stomach, colon, and muscle
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Researchers analyzed microplastics in stomach, colon, and muscle tissues from bowhead whales harvested by Alaska Natives for subsistence, aiming to characterize contamination in this ecologically and culturally important Arctic species. Microplastics were present across all sampled tissue types, raising concerns for both whale health and human dietary exposure through traditional harvesting.
Mussels (Mytilus spp.) in Svalbard contain microplastic particles in tissues: Implications for monitoring
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Researchers found microplastic particles in the tissues of blue mussels collected from intertidal zones in Arctic Svalbard, detecting 148 particles per sample on average and identifying polyethylene and polystyrene as dominant polymers, with implications for Arctic food web monitoring.
Anthropogenic debris in three sympatric seal species of the Western Antarctic Peninsula
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Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in three seal species inhabiting the Western Antarctic Peninsula: crabeater, leopard, and Weddell seals. The study confirmed the presence of anthropogenic debris in these Antarctic marine mammals, demonstrating that microplastic pollution has reached even remote polar ecosystems and their wildlife.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.