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Presence of Microplastics in the Vaquita Marina Protection Zone in Baja California, Mexico
Microplastics2023
3 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 35
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Sheila Liliana Dafne Lobato-Rocha,
Sheila Liliana Dafne Lobato-Rocha,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Sheila Liliana Dafne Lobato-Rocha,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Sheila Liliana Dafne Lobato-Rocha,
Samantha E. Cruz-Sotelo,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Jocelyn Tapia‐Fuentes,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Samantha E. Cruz-Sotelo,
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Juan Carlos Álvarez‐Zeferino,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Arely Areanely Cruz‐Salas,
Alethia Vázquez‐Morillas,
Sara Ojeda‐Benítez
Summary
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in surface water and beach sand across ten transects and five beaches within the Vaquita Marina protection zone in Baja California, Mexico, a critical habitat for the critically endangered Vaquita porpoise. The study documented the presence and distribution of microplastics in this protected marine area, highlighting contamination risks to one of the world's most endangered marine mammals.
Microplastics (MP) have been evidenced in marine and coastal areas worldwide, including the Gulf of California in Mexico, where the Vaquita Marina refuge area is located, which in turn borders the protected natural area Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Rio Colorado. This research aimed to determine the concentrations of microplastics in the Vaquita protection zone, analyzing samples of ten transects of surface water and samples in the sand of five beaches on the coast surrounding the Vaquita protection polygon. The total concentrations of MP in the surface water transects were from 0.000 to 0.020 MP/m3 and their most recurrent characteristics were fragments (69.0%), the chemical composition of polyethylene (60.0%), the blue color (39.0%) and a size of 2.1–3.0 mm (31.0%). While for the beaches, these corresponded to averages ranging from 28.2 ± 36.4; 17.6 to 200.7 ± 77.9; 193.7 MP/m2, the most common characteristics of MP from beaches were filaments (33.2%), PE (32.3%), white (28.0%), and a size of 4.1–5.0 mm (32.0%). The results suggest that part of the MP on the beaches and in the Vaquita Marina refuge area could come from urban areas such as the Gulf of California and activities such as fishing. It is recommended to study all the transects of the Vaquita Marina polygon and more beaches surrounding it in different seasons to better understand the status of MP pollution.