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Microplastic ingestion in five demersal, bathydemersal and bathypelagic fish species from the eastern Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Summary
Researchers examined microplastic ingestion in five fish species from the eastern Weddell Sea in Antarctica, a remote region proposed for conservation. By analyzing the gastrointestinal tracts of 40 specimens, they found evidence of microplastic contamination even in this isolated ecosystem. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution has reached some of the most remote marine environments on Earth, raising concerns for species that may be particularly sensitive to environmental changes.
Antarctica has traditionally been viewed as a relatively isolated ecosystem. Although still considered pristine, it is increasingly also being affected by microplastic pollution. Reported high sea floor concentrations raise concern that these ecosystems might act as major sink for microplastic pollution. This is significant as species in those remote ecosystems are likely more sensitive to rapid environmental change due to a high level of specialization, and lower tolerance levels. Microplastic ingestion in fish has barely been assessed in high latitude environments. Here we aimed to provide baseline data for the eastern Weddell Sea, which is particularly remote, and suggested for an area of conservation. By analyzing gastrointestinal tracts of 40 specimens from five species, we report an overall microplastic incidence rate of 0.23. This is lower than recent studies have found for other species in the Southern Ocean, and below global means. The highest incidence rate was detected in L. squamifrons (0.67), followed by P. evansii (0.29). The most common polymer was polyethylene recovered as 8 particles (42.1 %) from one specimen, while from the remaining 11 microplastics polyester was most common (36.8 %). This study shows that even in a remote region of the Antarctic Ocean with almost no vessel traffic, fisheries or touristic activity, bathydemersal and bathypelagic fish exhibit microplastic particles in their gastrointestinal tract.
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