Peer Review #3 of "Presence of microplastics and microparticles in Oregon Black Rockfish sampled near marine reserve areas (v0.1)"

Measuring the global spatial distribution of microparticles which include synthetic, semisynthetic, and anthropogenic particles is critical to understanding their potential negative impacts on species.This is particularly important in the context of microplastics, which are a form of microparticle that are particularly prevalent in the marine environment.To facilitate a better understanding of microparticle occurrence, including microplastics, we sampled subadult and young juvenile Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops) at multiple Oregon coast sites, and their gastrointestinal tracts were analyzed to identify ingested microparticles.Of the subadult rockfish, one or more microparticles were found in the GI tract of 93.1% (0.9729, 0.8357; Wilson Score Interval) of the fish and were present in fish from Newport, and near four of five marine reserves.In the juveniles, 92% (0.9539, 0.8765; Wilson Score Interval) of the fish had ingested one or more microparticles from the area of Cape Foulweather, a comparison area, and Otter Rock, a marine reserve.The subadults had an average of 7.31 (average background = 5) microparticles detected, while the juveniles had 4.21 (average background = 1.8).In both the subadult and juvenile fish, approximately 12% of the microparticles were identified as synthetic using micro-Fourier Infrared Spectroscopy (micro-FTIR), now termed verified particles.Fibers were the most prevalent morphology identified, and microparticle contamination was a complex