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Plastic pollution and ocean giants: Investigating the extent and impacts of plastic ingestion by marine megafauna
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This review examined the extent to which large ocean-going animals such as whales and whale sharks ingest and are harmed by plastic pollution, synthesizing data from stranding records and feeding observations. The evidence indicates that plastic ingestion is widespread among ocean giants, with documented cases of mortality and sublethal effects.
Plastic production has exponentially increased since the 1950s when it became a popular material for household items. Misuse, mishandling and a lack of effective waste management has seen plastic pollution become extensive and persistent. Over the past 20 years, evidence of the negative effects plastic pollution is having on marine organisms has grown. It is estimated that over 900 species are impacted by marine debris, the majority of which is plastic. Marine megafauna are of particular concern given their importance in the functioning and maintenance of marine ecosystems. These large marine vertebrates, namely marine mammals (e.g. cetaceans and pinnipeds), elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), and marine turtles can act as sentinels for the marine environment indicating ecosystem health. In addition to plastic pollution, many of these species are already of conservation concern due to a range of anthropogenic pressures both historic and emerging. Plastic ingestion can lead to lethal and sub-lethal impacts, including intestinal blockage and internal injury, dietary dilution, malnutrition, exposure to chemical contaminants and increased susceptibility to disease and infection. There is a paucity of information on the fate and impacts of very small plastic particles, such as microplastics and nanoplastics, within large marine vertebrate gastrointestinal tracts. This PhD study aims to address this knowledge gap. The first step is to develop a robust and repeatable sampling methodology to examine the gastrointestinal tracts of large, stranded individuals for the presence of microplastics. Plastic debris will be quantified and characterised to infer potential sources. Further ambitions for this research include exploring techniques to examine digestive contents for the presence and fate of nanoplastics and investigating the link between ingested plastic and associated chemicals (eg. phthalates). Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/574288/document
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Plastic pollution and ocean giants: Investigating the extent and impacts of plastic ingestion by marine megafauna
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Researchers investigated the extent and impacts of plastic pollution on ocean giants including large marine vertebrates such as whales, basking sharks, and manta rays, which are exposed to microplastics through filter feeding and ingestion of contaminated prey. The review found growing evidence of microplastic ingestion in these species, with potential consequences for their health and conservation.
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This review examines the entanglement and ingestion of marine litter, particularly plastic, by megafauna including whales, dolphins, turtles, and seabirds. It documents how both large plastic debris and microplastics threaten charismatic marine species through physical injury, starvation, and toxicological effects.
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This study investigated whether baleen whales and basking sharks — large filter feeders — ingest microplastics in the Mediterranean and found evidence that both species are exposed to plastic contamination through their filtration feeding behavior. The authors used feeding ecology modeling to estimate plastic ingestion rates and identify associated toxicological risks.
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Researchers reviewed 50 years of published studies on how plastic pollution affects marine megafauna including seabirds, marine mammals, and sea turtles at both individual and population levels. While numerous individual-level effects were documented, including starvation, injury, and reproductive impairment from entanglement and ingestion, no study provided direct evidence of population-level declines. The study highlights a critical gap in understanding whether the widespread individual harm from plastic pollution is translating into measurable population consequences for these species.
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