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Ingestion of plastic debris (macro and micro) by longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) in the North Atlantic Ocean
Summary
A study of 27 longnose lancetfish caught in the North Atlantic found plastic debris — both macro and microplastics — in their stomachs. The findings show that even deep-sea predatory fish are ingesting plastic pollution, raising concerns about the spread of plastics through marine food webs.
Plastic debris is found in nearly all marine regions and is a known threat to marine biota. This study evaluates the ingestion of plastic marine debris (macro and micro plastics) by a piscivorous predator, Alepisaurus ferox Lowe (1833). A total of 27 specimens were captured in 2015 and 2016 in the North Atlantic (around 34-36 N and 10-16 W) and their stomachs were dissected and inspected for plastic elements.
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