We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Zoop to poop: assessment of microparticle loads in gray whale zooplankton prey and fecal matter reveal high daily consumption rates
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers measured microplastic loads in the zooplankton prey and fecal matter of gray whales feeding off the Oregon coast, producing the first empirically-based estimates of daily microplastic consumption by a baleen whale. All zooplankton species examined contained microplastics, averaging four particles per gram, mostly tiny fibers. Based on these measurements, the study estimates that pregnant and lactating gray whales may consume between 6.5 and 21 million microplastic particles per day through their food alone.
The ocean continues to be a sink for microparticle (MP) pollution, which includes microplastics and other anthropogenic debris. While documentation of MP in marine systems is now common, we lack information on rates of MP ingestion by baleen whales and their prey. We collected and assessed MP loads in zooplankton prey and fecal samples of gray whales ( Eschrichtius robustus ) feeding in coastal Oregon, USA and produced the first estimates of baleen whale MP consumption rates from empirical data of zooplankton MP loads (i.e., not modeled). All zooplankton species examined were documented gray whale prey items ( Atylus tridens, Holmesimysis sculpta, Neomysis rayii ) and contained an average of 4 MP per gram of tissue, mostly of the microfiber morphotype. We extrapolated MP loads in zooplankton prey to estimate the daily MP consumption rates of pregnant and lactating gray whales, which ranged between 6.5 and 21 million MP/day. However, these estimates do not account for MP ingested from ambient water or benthic sediments, which may be high for gray whales given their benthic foraging strategy. We also assessed MP loads in fecal samples from gray whales feeding in the same spatio-temporal area and detected MP in all samples examined, which included microfibers and significantly larger morphotypes than in the zooplankton. We theorize that gray whales ingest MP via both indirect trophic transfer from their zooplankton prey and directly through indiscriminate consumption of ambient MPs when foraging benthically where they consume larger MP morphotypes that have sunk and accumulated on the seafloor. Hence, our estimated daily MP consumption rates for gray whales are likely conservative because they are only based on indirect MP ingestion via prey. Our results improve the understanding of MP loads in marine ecosystems and highlight the need to assess the health impacts of MP consumption on zooplankton and baleen whales, particularly due to the predominance of microfibers in samples, which may be more toxic and difficult to excrete than other MP types. Furthermore, the high estimated rates of MP consumption by gray whales highlights the need to assess health consequences to individuals and subsequent scaled-up effects on population vital rates.
More Papers Like This
Field measurements reveal exposure risk to microplastic ingestion by filter-feeding megafauna
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers combined ocean microplastic data with high-resolution whale feeding measurements to estimate how much plastic blue, fin, and humpback whales ingest in the California Current Ecosystem. They found that whales likely consume millions of microplastic particles per day, primarily through contaminated prey rather than direct filtration of water. The study reveals that filter-feeding whales face far greater microplastic exposure than previously estimated.
Assessing microplastic exposure of large marine filter-feeders
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers analyzed whale scat to estimate microplastic exposure in baleen whales feeding in coastal New Zealand waters. Using stochastic simulation modeling, they estimated whales ingest over 3.4 million microplastics per day, a figure four orders of magnitude higher than would be predicted from surface water measurements alone. The study suggests that trophic transfer through prey is the dominant exposure route for large filter-feeding marine animals, not direct environmental ingestion.
Microplastic ingestion and diet composition of humpback whales from the Northeast Pacific Ocean
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists studying humpback whale poop found these ocean giants swallow over 400,000 microplastic particles a day while feeding on krill near Vancouver Island, yet this only adds up to a tiny fraction of their body weight, and most of the particles were harmless cellulose fibers (a plant-based material), not harmful plastics. While the whales themselves seem to face low risk, this research matters because it shows just how deeply microplastics have infiltrated ocean food chains, the same food chains that produce the seafood many of us eat.
Ingestion of microplastics by fish and other prey organisms of cetaceans, exemplified for two large baleen whale species
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in the prey species of minke and sei whales, finding microplastics were widespread in krill, fish, and other whale food. Since cetaceans consume large quantities of these prey, they are likely ingesting significant amounts of microplastics indirectly through their diet.
A Quantitative Analysis of Microplastics in the Gastrointestinal Tracts of Odontocetes in the Southeast Region of the United States
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified microplastic accumulation in the gastrointestinal tracts of toothed whales from the southeastern United States. The study found microplastics present in all examined specimens, indicating that these marine mammals are routinely ingesting microplastic particles from their ocean environment.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.