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Field measurements reveal exposure risk to microplastic ingestion by filter-feeding megafauna
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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.
Microparticles, such as microplastics and microfibers, are ubiquitous in marine food webs. Filter-feeding megafauna may be at extreme risk of exposure to microplastics, but neither the amount nor pathway of microplastic ingestion are well understood. Here, we combine depth-integrated microplastic data from the California Current Ecosystem with high-resolution foraging measurements from 191 tag deployments on blue, fin, and humpback whales to quantify plastic ingestion rates and routes of exposure. We find that baleen whales predominantly feed at depths of 50-250 m, coinciding with the highest measured microplastic concentrations in the pelagic ecosystem. Nearly all (99%) microplastic ingestion is predicted to occur via trophic transfer. We predict that fish-feeding whales are less exposed to microplastic ingestion than krill-feeding whales. Per day, a krill-obligate blue whale may ingest 10 million pieces of microplastic, while a fish-feeding humpback whale likely ingests 200,000 pieces of microplastic. For species struggling to recover from historical whaling alongside other anthropogenic pressures, our findings suggest that the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors require further attention.
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Assessing microplastic exposure of large marine filter-feeders
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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.
Are baleen whales exposed to the threat of microplastics? A case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
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This case study estimated how many microplastics Mediterranean fin whales and basking sharks might ingest through filter feeding, using feeding rate data and measured microplastic concentrations. The study raised concern that large filter feeders accumulate significant plastic loads and that the associated chemical burden from sorbed pollutants may pose health risks to these protected species.
Zoop to poop: assessment of microparticle loads in gray whale zooplankton prey and fecal matter reveal high daily consumption rates
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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.
Ingestion of microplastics by fish and other prey organisms of cetaceans, exemplified for two large baleen whale species
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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.
Large filter feeding marine organisms as indicators of microplastic in the pelagic environment: The case studies of the Mediterranean basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
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This study investigated whether baleen whales and basking sharks — large filter feeders — ingest microplastics in the Mediterranean and found evidence that both species are exposed to plastic contamination through their filtration feeding behavior. The authors used feeding ecology modeling to estimate plastic ingestion rates and identify associated toxicological risks.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.