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Lanternfish as bioindicator of microplastics in the deep sea: A spatiotemporal analysis using museum specimens
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Using archived museum specimens of lanternfish collected from 1999 to 2017, researchers tracked microplastic ingestion trends in one of the world's most abundant deep-sea vertebrates. They found that 55% of 1,167 specimens contained microplastics, with ingestion probability increasing over time, and that migration patterns were the strongest predictor of contamination levels.
We investigated MP ingestion in lanternfishes (Myctophidae), one of the most abundant vertebrates in the world, using archived specimens from museum collections from 1999 to 2017. Microplastics were detected in 55 % of the 1167 specimens analysed (0.95 ± 1.22 MP individual). Global plastic production has increased by about 53 % during this period. Interestingly, almost half of the lanternfishes analysed contained at least one particle in the gastrointestinal tract in the earliest data. In contrast, the incidence increased to two-thirds in the most recent data available. Although the shape and colour composition of MPs followed a similar proportion, the model considering the sampling year and migration patterns showed that specimens collected in 1999, 2000, and 2010 had a 44 %, 23 % and 20 % lower probability of MP ingestion than those collected in 2017. However, migration was the most robust predictor of MP contamination. Further analysis of specimens collected in 1999-2000 revealed that fish caught in the bathypelagic zone had the lowest number of particles, while those caught just below the thermocline had an eightfold higher probability of MP ingestion. Lanternfishes were generally more likely to ingest high-density polymers, although polyethylene had the highest concentration (445.5 ± 526.4 µg g gastrointestinal tract).
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Lanternfish as bioindicator of microplastics in the deep sea: A spatiotemporal analysis using museum specimens
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Researchers analyzed lanternfish specimens collected across space and time from the deep sea to assess their utility as bioindicators of microplastic pollution, examining spatiotemporal patterns in microplastic occurrence and abundance in these mesopelagic fish.
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Deep-sea lanternfish in the Southwest Atlantic were found to ingest microplastics, with feeding behavior, body size, and habitat depth all influencing how much plastic each fish consumed. Lanternfish are among the most abundant fish on Earth and play a critical role in transporting carbon and contaminants from surface waters to the deep ocean. Microplastic contamination in these fish could have far-reaching effects on deep-sea food webs and carbon cycling.
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For the first time, scientists found plastic debris in the stomachs of Mediterranean lanternfishes, small deep-sea fish that migrate vertically between depths every day. About 2.7-5.8% of individual fish had ingested plastic, raising concerns that these migratory species could transfer plastic pollutants from surface waters to deeper ecosystems and up the food chain to larger predators.
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