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Chemical composition of microplastic in sediments and protected detritivores from different marine habitats (Salina Island)
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This study characterized microplastics in sediments and sea cucumbers across different rocky-bottom habitats at Salina Island, Italy, finding that chemical composition varied by habitat type. Correlations were also found between microplastic composition and the diversity and coverage of benthic species at each site.
This study estimates chemical composition of microplastic in sediments and benthic detritivores (sea cucumbers) collected from different marine rocky bottom habitat types (bank, landslide, cliff) of Salina Island (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy). Also, species richness and bottom coverings by benthic species were recorded at each sampling station. Correlations among chemical composition of microplastic in sediments and in detritivores were explored linking recorded variability to the factor "habitat type". Results evidence that the habitat types considered in this study are characterized by wide species richness and by high percentages of bottom coverage by protected species by international conventions. In spite of the high ecological value of habitats considered in this study, microplastics were recorded both in sediments (PVC, PET, PE, PS, PA, PP) and in stomach contents of sea cucumbers (PET, PA) collected in all sampling sites, confirming the exposure of benthic species to microplastic pollution.
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Microplastics were found in sediments across multiple habitat types in the northern Adriatic Sea—seagrass beds, sandflats, and maerl beds—suggesting plastic contamination is not confined to a particular seafloor habitat type. Different habitats accumulated different amounts, pointing to habitat-specific factors in microplastic retention.
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Researchers assessed microplastic spatiotemporal distribution across multiple Mediterranean marine habitat types including water surface, sediment, and biota, revealing significant variability by location and season. The multi-compartment approach showed that no single habitat type captures the full extent of microplastic contamination.
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