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Microplastic pollution in seawater and marine organisms across the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Galápagos
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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.
Abstract It is not surprising anymore the detection of plastic debris degrading into micro and nanoplastics across all oceanic environments and in marine organisms, which now appears as one of the world’s main concerns. To determine the levels of microplastic pollution at sea, water samples were collected across a 4000 km-trajectory in the Tropical Eastern Pacific and the Galápagos archipelago, covering an area of 453,000 square kilometres. Furthermore, 240 specimens of 16 different species of fish, squid, and shrimp, all of human consumption, were collected along the continental coast. Microplastic particles were found in 100% of the water samples and marine organisms. Microplastic particles from 150 – 500 µm were the most predominant. This is one of the first reports simultaneously detecting and quantifying microplastic particles abundance in the Eastern Tropical Pacific region, the Galápagos archipelago and inside marine organisms.
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Microplastic pollution in seawater and marine organisms across the Tropical Eastern Pacific and Galápagos
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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.
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Researchers assessed microplastic concentrations, distribution, and characteristics across the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, finding widespread contamination with significant spatial variation and identifying environmental implications for marine ecosystems in this understudied region.
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Researchers re-analyzed archived zooplankton samples collected at four Eastern Tropical Pacific stations between 2008 and 2018 to quantify microplastic abundance, providing a decade-long temporal record of plastic contamination in this oceanic region.
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Researchers documented plastic ingestion in 24 fish species caught for human consumption in the remote South Pacific, finding plastic in fish from both local markets and fishermen's catches. The study raises concerns about microplastic transfer up the food chain to humans who eat these fish.
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.