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Marine & Wildlife
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The role of mesopelagic fishes as microplastics vectors across the deep-sea layers from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic
Environmental Pollution2022
42 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 45
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Richard Sempéré,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Richard Sempéré,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Vincent Fauvelle,
Christos Panagiotopoulos,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Natascha Schmidt
Anne K.S. Justino,
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Richard Sempéré,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Véronique Lenoble,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Thierry Frédou,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Véronique Lenoble,
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Véronique Lenoble,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Christos Panagiotopoulos,
Natascha Schmidt
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Richard Sempéré,
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Natascha Schmidt
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Natascha Schmidt
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Véronique Lenoble,
Véronique Lenoble,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Véronique Lenoble,
Natascha Schmidt
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Vincent Fauvelle,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Véronique Lenoble,
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Richard Sempéré,
Véronique Lenoble,
Leandro Nolé Eduardo,
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Thierry Frédou,
Natascha Schmidt
Véronique Lenoble,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Anne K.S. Justino,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Véronique Lenoble,
Thierry Frédou,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Christos Panagiotopoulos,
Guilherme V.B. Ferreira,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Richard Sempéré,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Richard Sempéré,
Thierry Frédou,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Richard Sempéré,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Vincent Fauvelle,
Richard Sempéré,
Véronique Lenoble,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Thierry Frédou,
Thierry Frédou,
Véronique Lenoble,
Véronique Lenoble,
Véronique Lenoble,
Véronique Lenoble,
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Richard Sempéré,
Véronique Lenoble,
Natascha Schmidt
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Natascha Schmidt
Flávia Lucena‐Frédou,
Richard Sempéré,
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Natascha Schmidt
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Michael Maia Mincarone,
Natascha Schmidt
Vincent Fauvelle,
Natascha Schmidt
Richard Sempéré,
Natascha Schmidt
Summary
Mesopelagic fish from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic were examined as vectors of microplastics between surface waters and deep-sea layers, with plastics found in their digestive tracts and their vertical migration behavior identified as a transport mechanism. The study suggests that diel migrating fish can actively carry microplastics from surface feeding zones to deeper waters during downward migration.
Microplastics (MPs; <5 mm) are a macro issue recognised worldwide as a threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. Widely distributed in marine ecosystems, MPs have already been found in the deep-sea environment. However, there is little information on ecological mechanisms driving MP uptake by deep-sea species. For the first time, this study generates data on MP contamination in mesopelagic fishes from the Southwestern Tropical Atlantic (SWTA) to help understand the deep-sea contamination patterns. An alkaline digestion protocol was applied to extract MPs from the digestive tract of four mesopelagic fish species: Argyropelecus sladeni, Sternoptyx diaphana (Sternoptychidae), Diaphus brachycephalus, and Hygophum taaningi (Myctophidae). A total of 213 particles were recovered from 170 specimens, and MPs were found in 67% of the specimens. Fibres were the most common shape found in all species, whereas polyamide, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate were the most frequent polymers. The most contaminated species was A. sladeni (93%), and the least contaminated was S. diaphana (45%). Interestingly, individuals caught in the lower mesopelagic zone (500-1000 m depth) were less contaminated with MPs than those captured in the upper mesopelagic layer (200-500 m). Our results highlight significant contamination levels and reveal the influence of mesopelagic fishes on MPs transport in the deep waters of the SWTA.