We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
No evidence of microplastics in Antarctic fur seal scats from a hotspot of human activity in Western Antarctica
AI summary Read the abstract
Examination of Antarctic fur seal feces from Deception Island revealed no microplastics among the fragments and fibers recovered, which were instead identified as silicate minerals and chitin from prey. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution levels in the pelagic food web of the western Antarctic Peninsula region remain very low.
Microplastics are present in almost all seas and oceans, including the Southern Ocean. To the south of the Antarctic Polar Front, microplastics are present mainly west to the Antarctic Peninsula, but information is scarce about their impact on the pelagic food web. Here, we analysed 42 scats of male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) collected in late summer at Deception Island (South Shetland Islands), which allowed us to assess the presence of microplastics in the pelagic food web of the Bransfield Strait (Western Antarctica). Furthermore, we analysed the hard remains of prey in the scats to characterize the diet of fur seals. Hard remains recovered from the scats revealed that male Antarctic fur seals foraged on krill and myctophid fishes during late summer. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) revealed that none of the seven fragments and three fibres recovered from their scats were microplastics, but rather were silicate minerals and chitin. These results suggest that the levels of microplastic pollution in the pelagic food web of the Bransfield Strait are extremely low.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in Antarctic penguins and seals in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, Antarctica
AI summary Read the abstract
Analysis of fresh scats from penguins and seals at King George Island, Antarctica found microplastics in approximately 30% of samples, including fibers and fragments of polyester and polypropylene, confirming microplastic ingestion by top predators in one of Earth's most remote ecosystems.
Marine Debris Reach Antarctic Seals: Fibers Are the Main Ingested Microplastic
AI summary Read the abstract
Antarctic seals were found to have ingested microplastics, with fibers being the most common type detected — likely originating from atmospheric deposition or contaminated prey. The findings extend known microplastic contamination to a charismatic and ecologically important Antarctic predator. As plastic pollution increases in the Southern Ocean, large marine mammals face growing exposure through both direct ingestion and the food chain.
Evaluating exposure of northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus, to microplastic pollution through fecal analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
Fecal samples from 44 northern fur seals across their eastern Pacific range were analyzed for microplastics, with plastic fragments found in 55% and fibers in 41% of scats, and a mean of 16.6 fragments/scat among positive samples. The study documents microplastic exposure in a marine mammal species consumed by humans, raising questions about potential exposure during subsistence harvesting.
Anthropogenic debris in three sympatric seal species of the Western Antarctic Peninsula
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in three seal species inhabiting the Western Antarctic Peninsula: crabeater, leopard, and Weddell seals. The study confirmed the presence of anthropogenic debris in these Antarctic marine mammals, demonstrating that microplastic pollution has reached even remote polar ecosystems and their wildlife.
Microplastics and other anthropogenic particles in Antarctica: Using penguins as biological samplers
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used penguin fecal samples collected from three species across the Antarctic Peninsula over seven breeding seasons to assess microplastic ingestion in these seabirds. Finding microplastics in Antarctic penguin feces confirms that plastic pollution has reached even remote polar food webs, with krill serving as a potential pathway for transferring microplastics to penguins.
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.