We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Plastic contamination of a Galapagos Island (Ecuador) and the relative risks to native marine species
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a comprehensive survey of plastic contamination across the marine ecosystem of a Galapagos island — covering beaches, water, sediment, and invertebrates — and found widespread contamination including in native species, identifying dominant sources and risk levels for key marine animals.
Ecuador's Galapagos Islands and their unique biodiversity are a global conservation priority. We explored the presence, composition and environmental drivers of plastic contamination across the marine ecosystem at an island scale, investigated uptake in marine invertebrates and designed a systematic priority scoring analysis to identify the most vulnerable vertebrate species. Beach contamination varied by site (macroplastic 0-0.66 items·m-2, microplastics 0-448.8 particles·m-2 or 0-74.6 particles·kg-1), with high plastic accumulation on east-facing beaches that are influenced by the Humboldt Current. Local littering and waste management leakages accounted for just 2% of macroplastic. Microplastics (including anthropogenic cellulosics) were ubiquitous but in low concentrations in benthic sediments (6.7-86.7 particles·kg-1) and surface seawater (0.04-0.89 particles·m-3), with elevated concentrations in the harbour suggesting some local input. Microplastics were present in all seven marine invertebrate species examined, found in 52% of individuals (n = 123) confirming uptake of microplastics in the Galapagos marine food web. Priority scoring analysis combining species distribution information, IUCN Red List conservation status and literature evidence of harm from entanglement and ingestion of plastics in similar species identified 27 marine vertebrates in need of urgent, targeted monitoring and mitigation including pinnipeds, seabirds, turtles and sharks.
More Papers Like This
Plastic contamination of the Galapagos marine food web and the relative risks to native species
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated plastic contamination across the marine food web of the Galapagos Islands and conducted a risk assessment to identify the most vulnerable species. They found plastic contamination in seawater, beach sediments, and marine organisms, with risk scores varying substantially by species feeding ecology and habitat. The study provides a framework for prioritizing conservation responses in a globally significant marine biodiversity hotspot.
Darwin's paradise contaminated by marine debris. Understanding their sources and accumulation dynamics.☆
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers documented marine debris contamination across the Galapagos Islands, finding microplastics present even in these remote pristine environments, with oceanographic currents and local sources both contributing to accumulation patterns across beach sediments.
Microplastic pollution in seawater and marine organisms across the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Galápagos
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers sampled water and seafood across 453,000 square kilometers of the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Galápagos Islands, finding microplastics in 100% of water samples and in every species of fish, squid, and shrimp collected. This confirms that microplastic contamination is pervasive even in remote ocean regions, raising concerns for both marine ecosystems and human food safety.
Microplastic pollution in seawater and marine organisms across the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Galápagos
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers collected water samples across a 4,000 km Pacific Ocean trajectory and found microplastics throughout, along with microplastics in fish, squid, and shrimp caught for human consumption along the coast. The study confirms widespread plastic contamination across the Tropical Eastern Pacific, including in seafood species eaten by humans.
Microplastic exposure and biological correlates in a key intertidal crab (Grapsus grapsus) from the Galápagos Islands
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers quantified microplastics in the gills and gastrointestinal tracts of Sally Lightfoot crabs from the Galápagos Marine Reserve, finding particles in 78% of gill samples — higher loads and greater polymer diversity than gut tissue — and confirming that even this remote protected ecosystem is permeated by anthropogenic microdebris.
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.