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First insight into plastics ingestion by fish in the Gulf of California, Mexico
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Researchers found that 50% of 1,095 fish examined from 13 species in a tropical estuarine system in the Gulf of California had ingested plastic particles, with all recovered particles being threads and most being small microplastic fibres.
Plastic particle occurrence in the digestive tracts of fishes from a tropical estuarine system in the Gulf of California was investigated. A total of 1095 fish were analysed, representing 15 species. In total 1384 particles of plastic debris were recovered from the gastrointestinal tracts of 552 specimens belonging to 13 species, and all consisted of threads, the majority of which were small microplastics (0.23 to 1.89), followed by large microplastics (2.07 to 4.49), and few mesoplastics (5.4 to 19.86). Plastic particles were identified using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The mean frequency of occurrence of plastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of fishes from this system was 50.5%, which is higher than frequencies reported in similar systems in other areas. The polymers identified by ATR-FTIR were polyamide (51.2%), polyethylene (36.6%), polypropylene (7.3%), and polyacrylic (4.9%). These results show the first evidence of plastic contamination for estuarine biota in the Gulf of California.
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Microplastic ingestion by pelagic and benthic fish and diet composition: A case study in the NW Iberian shelf
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Researchers found microplastics in 78% of fish examined across four pelagic and benthic species from the NW Iberian shelf, with ingestion rates varying by feeding ecology and habitat depth, and identified predominantly fibers and fragments in gastrointestinal contents following alkaline tissue digestion.
Occurrence of microplastics in commercial fish from a natural estuarine environment
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Researchers examined the gastrointestinal tracts of commercial fish caught from a natural estuarine environment and found microplastics in a significant proportion of individuals, documenting both occurrence rates and particle characteristics.
Plastic density as a key factor in the presence of microplastic in the gastrointestinal tract of commercial fishes from Campeche Bay, Mexico
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Researchers found microplastics in 316 particles across 240 gastrointestinal tracts from six commercially consumed fish species in Campeche Bay, Mexico, with average ingestion of 1.31 MPs per fish, and found that fish feeding in mid-water column tended to ingest denser polymer types reflecting their depth distribution.
Occurrence and amount of microplastic ingested by fishes in watersheds of the Gulf of Mexico
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Researchers quantified microplastic ingestion by fishes across several freshwater and estuarine watersheds of the Gulf of Mexico. The study documented widespread microplastic occurrence in fish from these environments, contributing important data about freshwater contamination at a time when most research had focused on marine ecosystems.
Ingestion of plastic by fish: A comparison of Thames Estuary and Firth of Clyde populations.
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Alimentary canals of 876 fish from 21 estuarine species in the Thames Estuary and Firth of Clyde were examined for ingested plastic. Overall 32% of organisms had ingested plastic, with fibers making up 88% of particles, highlighting widespread plastic ingestion across both pelagic and benthic fish in UK coastal waters.
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.