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Plastic, It’s What’s for Dinner: A Preliminary Comparison of Ingested Particles in Bottlenose Dolphins and Their Prey
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Researchers compared the types of microplastics found in the stomachs of bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay, Florida, with those found in their prey fish. They found that 97% of prey fish contained suspected microplastics, primarily fibers in the gastrointestinal tract, but the particle types did not fully match those found in dolphin samples. The study suggests that contaminated prey may be one pathway for dolphin microplastic exposure, though additional sources likely contribute.
Microplastic ingestion was reported for common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabiting Sarasota Bay, FL, USA, a community that also has prevalent exposure to plasticizers (i.e., phthalates) at concentrations higher than human reference populations. Exposure sources are currently unknown, but plastic-contaminated prey could be a vector. To explore the potential for trophic exposure, prey fish muscle and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) tissues and contents were screened for suspected microplastics, and particle properties (e.g., color, shape, surface texture) were compared with those observed in gastric samples from free-ranging dolphins. Twenty-nine fish across four species (hardhead catfish, Ariopsis felis; pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera; pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides; and Gulf toadfish, Opsanus beta) were collected from Sarasota Bay during September 2022. Overall, 97% of fish (n = 28) had suspected microplastics, and GIT abundance was higher than muscle. Fish and dolphin samples contained fibers and films; however, foams were common in dolphin samples and not observed in fish. Suspected tire wear particles (TWPs) were not in dolphin samples, but 23.1% and 32.0% of fish muscle and GIT samples, respectively, contained at least one suspected TWP. While some similarities in particles were shared between dolphins and fish, small sample sizes and incongruent findings for foams and TWPs suggest further investigation is warranted to understand trophic transfer potential.
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Microplastic Munchies: Exploring Microplastic Trophic Transfer Potential Between Two Key Prey Fish Species and Resident Common Bottlenose Dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus ) in Sarasota Bay, Florida
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Scientists studying dolphins in Florida's Sarasota Bay found tiny plastic bits (microplastics) in nearly all the fish these dolphins eat, and estimate the dolphins may swallow more than 10,000 plastic particles a day just from their prey. This matters beyond dolphins: it shows how plastic pollution moves up the food chain from fish to predators, raising questions about how much of this contamination could also be making its way into the seafood people eat.
Microplastics in bottlenose dolphins and two key prey fish from Sarasota Bay, FL
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Researchers found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in wild dolphins living in Sarasota Bay, Florida, as well as in the fish they eat — suggesting plastic pollution is moving up the food chain in coastal waters. Since dolphins eat seafood much like we do, and share a similar environment with fish caught for human consumption, this raises questions about whether we're also ingesting microplastics through our own seafood. More research is needed to know exactly what health effects this might have, but the findings are a reminder that plastic waste in our oceans doesn't just disappear — it ends up inside the animals (and potentially the food
An Analysis of Suspected Microplastics in the Muscle and Gastrointestinal Tissues of Fish from Sarasota Bay, FL: Exposure and Implications for Apex Predators and Seafood Consumers
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Researchers analyzed muscle and gastrointestinal tissues of 11 fish species from Sarasota Bay, Florida, that are commonly eaten by bottlenose dolphins. They found suspected microplastics in 82% of muscle samples and 97% of gastrointestinal samples, suggesting widespread contamination. The findings raise concerns about microplastic transfer through the food chain to both marine predators and human seafood consumers.
Microplastics in gastric samples from common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) residing in Sarasota Bay FL (USA)
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Microplastics were detected in gastric samples from common bottlenose dolphins residing in Sarasota Bay, Florida, confirming that even marine mammals in a relatively studied coastal area are exposed to plastic debris. The results add to evidence that microplastics are widespread in the marine food web and that dolphins serve as useful sentinels for coastal pollution.
First report from North America of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
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This study reported the first North American case of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of stranded bottlenose dolphins, finding particles in the majority of animals examined. The detection of microplastics in apex marine predators like dolphins indicates that plastic contamination has penetrated far up the marine food chain.
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