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Study of the presence of macroplastics and microplastics in the stomach content of juvenile bluefin tunas and their diet in the Mediterranean Sea.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) 2024
Júlia López Barrón, Margarita Gomis Frau, Immaculada Bernal, Valentina Fagiano, Maria Valls Mir, Salud Deudero, Salud Deudero, Carme Alomar, Carme Alomar

Summary

Researchers examined microplastic and macroplastic ingestion in juvenile bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, 20-40 cm) captured in recreational fishing contests at multiple sites along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, studying 300 individuals to assess stomach contents and dietary interactions. The study represented the first investigation of microplastic ingestion and its relationship to prey diet in juvenile bluefin tuna, a commercially and ecologically important top predator.

Body Systems
Digestive

The Mediterranean Sea has become one of the seas with one of the highest abundances of plastic pollution worldwide [2]. Due to this increase, the study of micro and macroplastics have been carried out to see how the presence of plastics on the marine ecosystems and the different species that habit on them [1], [3],[4]. This problem has also affected food chains due to the bioaccumulation of micro and macroplastics along trophic webs, affecting large predators and species of commercial interest. [1]. The main objective of this work is to study for the first time microplastic ingestion and the relation with their diet in juveniles of one of the most important top predators of the Mediterranean Sea, the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). The study is mainly focused on individuals between 20 and 40 cm (juveniles) (300 in total), which were captured in recreational fishing contests, with different methodologies and in different parts of the Spanish Mediterranean coast (Tarragona, Mazarrón, Castellón and València) between 2016 and 2017. After the capture, analysis of the stomach contents was carried out both to identify and quantify prey and micro and macroplastics. The composition of microplastics and macroplastics were analysed with the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The results obtained showed a presence of plastics in approximately 30 Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559552/document

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