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Captive dolphins face higher levels of microplastic pollution than wild individuals
Summary
Researchers developed a reliable multi-tissue framework for extracting microplastics from cetaceans and applied it to compare contamination levels in wild and captive pantropical spotted dolphins. They found that captive dolphins had higher levels of microplastic contamination than their wild counterparts, with high detection rates of 80-100% across various tissues. The findings suggest that captive marine environments may expose dolphins to greater microplastic pollution than open ocean habitats.
Traditional research on microplastics in cetaceans has largely overlooked the extraction methods and their occurrence in multi-tissues. Here we present a reliable framework for extracting microplastics from multi-tissues of cetaceans, achieved through methodological comparisons and stringent quality control measures. Furthermore, a case study assesses microplastics in wild and captive pantropical spotted dolphins (Stenella attenuata). The high microplastic detection rates (80% − 100%) across various tissues underscore the contribution of microplastics from atmospheric, aquatic, and dietary sources to cetacean exposure. The microplastic abundance and detection rate in S. attenuata show a logistic relationship, indicating extensive pollution. Wild individuals exhibited more diverse microplastics (0.67 ± 0.12) than their captive counterparts (0.59 ± 0.09). Conversely, captive individuals highlighted higher pollution levels (0.67 ± 0.47 items g−1) than wild individuals (0.19 ± 0.08 items g−1). These findings provide valuable baseline data and perspectives for studying microplastic pollution and informing management strategies for marine mammals. Dolphins in captivity are exposed to higher levels of microplastics with lower diversity than wild dolphins, according to analyses based on a framework for sampling microplastics from cetacean tissues.
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