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Evaluating the presence of microplastics in striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba) stranded in the Western Mediterranean Sea
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Researchers analyzed three decades of intestinal content data from Western Mediterranean striped dolphins stranded over 30 years, finding microplastics in 90.5% of dolphins, making it one of the highest contamination rates reported in cetaceans.
Litter is a well-known problem for marine species; however, we still know little about the extent to which they're affected by microplastics. In this study, we analyse the presence of this type of debris in Western Mediterranean striped dolphins' intestinal contents over three decades. Results indicated that frequency was high, as 90.5% of dolphins contained microplastics. Of these microplastics, 73.6% were fibres, 23.87% were fragments and 2.53% were primary pellets. In spite of the high frequency of occurrence, microplastic amount per dolphin was relatively low and highly variable (mean ± SD = 14.9 ± 22.3; 95% CI: 9.58-23.4). Through FT-IR spectrometry, we found that polyacrylamide, typically found in synthetic clothes, was the most common plastic polymer. Here, we establish a starting point for further research on how microplastics affect this species' health and discuss the use of striped dolphins as indicators of microplastics at sea.
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First report from North America of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tract of stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
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This study reported the first North American case of microplastics in the gastrointestinal tracts of stranded bottlenose dolphins, finding particles in the majority of animals examined. The detection of microplastics in apex marine predators like dolphins indicates that plastic contamination has penetrated far up the marine food chain.
Microplastics in the stomach contents of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) stranded on the Galician coasts (NW Spain, 2005–2010)
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Researchers found microplastics in the stomach contents of common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) stranded on Galician coasts between 2005 and 2010, providing the first record of microplastic presence in the digestive tracts of marine mammals from this region.
Vijftig keer meer microplastics in de oceaan tegen eind deze eeuw
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This research examined microplastic occurrence in the body tissues and organs of Mediterranean bottlenose dolphins from the Adriatic Sea, finding widespread tissue distribution beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Polymer identification in liver and muscle tissue suggests microplastic translocation from the gut represents a toxicological concern for long-lived marine mammals.
Microplastic Occurrence in the Gastrointestinal Tract of a Risso’s Dolphin Grampus griseus in the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea
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A stranded Risso's dolphin in the northeastern Mediterranean was found to contain 454 microplastic particles in its gastrointestinal tract. Fibers and fragments were the most common forms, including polypropylene and polyethylene. This case study documents microplastic ingestion by a cetacean species and contributes to growing evidence of widespread plastic contamination in Mediterranean marine mammals.
Plastic ingestion by two cetacean groups: Ziphiidae and Delphinidae
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Researchers combined field data and historical records on plastic ingestion across 623 stranded cetaceans globally, finding that beaked whales accumulate more macro-, meso-, and microplastics than striped dolphins — likely due to deep-diving feeding behavior — with the highest concentrations in the Western Pacific and Eastern Spain respectively.
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.